{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O126308"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O126308/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BK7639/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BK7639/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BK7639","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7642","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O126308/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O126308","accessionNumber":"S.208-2006","objectType":"Set model","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles.  His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.\r\n\r\nMozart’s opera <i>Idomeneo</i> (1781) outlines Idomeneo, the King of Crete’s attempts to escape from the consequences of a vow to the God Neptune.  Oliver Messel’s 1951 Glyndebourne production was the first time this opera was staged in England, and was revived in 1956.   Messel produced baroque style sets inspired by Italian 18th-century artists and designers.  \r\n\r\nGiambattista Tiepolo’s (1696-1770) fresco paintings provided the inspiration for the baroque architecture of the set.   The flexible set allowed a large number of stage performers to move and group together according to the action.   Some critics found the elegance of the set and its embellishment with drapes and tassels unnecessary, and worked against rather than for the stark, classical nature of the music.","physicalDescription":"Set model by Oliver Messel for a Glyndebourne production of Idomeneo, 1951.   Enclosed in wooden box.   Cutcloths and backcloths.  A cloth in red and yellow at the front.  Another red curtain with tassels behind. Clusters of classical columns on the left and a colonnade on the right.  Steps at an angle leading up to the columns on the left.  A female figure stands on the right.   Blue sky backcloth.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"},{"text":"kaolinite","id":"AAT13815"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"masking tape","id":"AAT14836"},{"text":"glue","id":"AAT14815"},{"text":"perspex","id":"AAT14435"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"glueing","id":"AAT53012"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood, paper and cardboard","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BK7639","2006BK7642"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES397034"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"sets (architectural elements)","id":"AAT188014"}],[{"text":"models (representations)","id":"AAT47753"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1951","earliest":"1951-01-01","latest":"1951-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.116-2006","id":"O125050"},"association":"Design"}],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"50","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"38.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"44","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'[IDOME]NEO 17'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Ink inscription on label which has been have rubbed away on the side of the wooden box."}],"objectHistory":"<i>Idomeneo</i> (1781), an opera in three acts by Mozart with libretto by Varesco.   Oliver Messel’s production was first performed at Glyndebourne by Glyndebourne Festival Opera on 15 June, 1951.  It was directed by Carl Ebert with choreography by Sigurd Leeder and featured Richard Lewis as Idomeneo and Sena Jurinac as Ilia.   This was the first time this production was staged in England.  It was revived in 1952, 1956, 1959 and 1964 at Glydenbourne; and in 1953 at the Edinburgh Festival. \r\n Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts.  The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan.  The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.\n\nHistorical significance: At the height of his career, Messel produced theatre designs for Glyndebourne, 1951-1959.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Set model by Oliver Messel for Mozart's opera <i>Idomeneo</i>, Glyndebourne 1951.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Pinkham, Roger (ed.) <u>Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.</u> \r\nLondon: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983.  200p., ill\r\nISBN 0905209508)"}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Design","id":"THES48872"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.208-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"208","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 8882"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-05","recordCreationDate":"2006-07-21","availableToBook":true}}