{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O127226"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127226/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL9983/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL9983/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BL9983","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O127226/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O127226","accessionNumber":"S.280-2006","objectType":"Set design","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\n<i>Samson</i>, an oratorio by Handel (1743), was performed at Covent Garden in 1958 to commemorate the bicentenary of the composer’s death.  Critics found Messel’s designs too exuberant for the stark monumentality of Handel’s music ‘Oliver Messel’s pleasing though flimsy Tiepolo-like décor was conceived wholly in the vein of the relatively unimportant Delilah episode; something grander and sterner might have better suited the main action.’  (<i>Sunday Times</i>, 23 November 1958)\r\n\r\nMessel created charcoal, ink and wash sketches of scenes from the oratorio, in order to establish the look, atmosphere and lighting of the sets scene by scene.  This sketch illustrates Samson’s body being carried toward the temple in a solemn procession.","physicalDescription":"A set story board in charcoal and ink by Oliver Messel for a funeral march in a Covent Garden Opera production of Samson, 1958.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"wash","id":"AAT11051"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal, ink and wash on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2007BL9983"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES356229"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"set design","id":""}],[{"text":"story board","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1958","earliest":"1958-01-01","latest":"1958-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"37.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'SAMSONS body is carried down in solemn procession'","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 the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'4'","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 the front of the sheet."}],"objectHistory":"<i>Samson</i> (1743), an oratorio by Handel with libretto by Newburgh Hamilton from John Milton’s <i>Samson Agonistes</i> (1671).  Presented at the Royal Opera House, London by the Covent Garden Opera on 15 November, 1958, to celebrate the bicentenary of Handel’s death.  There were some performances at the Leeds Festival in October 1957.  It was directed by Hubert Graf with  choreography by Meriel Evans and featured Jon Vickers as Samson and Elisabeth Lindermeier as Dalila.  \r\nLord 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: The first time this oratorio had been performed at Covent Garden.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Set story board by Oliver Messel for a funeral march in Handel's oratorio <i>Samson</i>, Royal Opera House 1958.","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.280-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"280","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 2972"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2006-08-18","availableToBook":true}}