{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1482797"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1482797/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1482797","accessionNumber":"S.441-2018","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"La Fille mal gardee","type":"generic title"},{"title":"The Wayward Daughter","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume designs by Osbert Lancaster for <i>La Fille mal gardée</i> by Frederick Ashton created for The Royal Ballet and first performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden on 28 January 1960. Lancaster designed the sets, front cloth and costumes.  This design is for Colas' Friends in scene 3, and is labelled no. 11.\r\n\nAshton was inspired to create the ballet as a result of his passion for the Suffolk countryside and he was encouragement to create his new version by former ballerina, Tamara Karsavina, who had danced the role of Lise with the Imperial Russian Ballet. Karsavina taught Ashton some of the mime she had performed. Ashton worked closely with scholar Ivor Guest who unearthed various version of the score and identified the original engraving by Choffart from P.A. Baudouin’s Une Jeune fille querellée par sa mère (1764) which inspire the original version of the ballet by Jean Dauberval in 1989. John Lanchbery freely adapted the score by Ferdinand Hérold from 1828 incorporating a range of other material that had found its way into the ballet during the nineteenth century. Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée has become one of the most popular ballets of the twentieth century and continues to be danced throughout the world.\r\n\nAt the age of 11 Osbert Lancaster was taken by his mother to see <i>The Sleeping Princess</i> and its impact made him want to design for the stage. While at Oxford he performed with OUDS and provided caricatures of other performers for Isis. At the Slade School of Art he attended Vladimir Polunin’s course on stage design but it was not until 1951 he had his first opportunity to design for theatre when John Cranko invited him to design his Festival of Britain ballet <i>Pineapple Poll</i>.  Thereafter he designed for Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, the Old Vic and London Festival Ballet. As a designer his cartoonist’s ability slightly exaggerate detail while revealing an understanding of period brought him success. \r\n\r\nDiscussing his designs Lancaster noted that ‘the first question to be settled was that of period’ and he and Ashton agreed that the traditions of the ballet led it to be ‘far closer in spirit to the sentimental Biedermeyer romanticism of the [French] Restoration period, than to the aristocratic dairymaid tradition of le petit Trianon’. He aimed to present ‘the freshness and naïveté of Images d’Epinal, while at the same time drawing inspiration from the best of the French children’s-book illustrators flourishing at the turn of the century, notably than now-neglected artist, Boutet de Monvel.’ (Lancaster in Ivor Guest La Fille mal gardée  London 1960 pp.23-24) \r\n\r\nThe original costumes were made by the Production Wardrobe at the Royal Opera House with the costumes for the Cockerel and hens being made by Alick Shanks\r\n\r\nThese designs appear also to have been used for staging by the Royal Danish Ballet under the title Den Slet Bevogdtede Datter in Copenhagen\r\n\r\nThe V&A Theatre and Performance department hold further material on <i>La Fille mal gardée</i> in Ivor Guest’s Research Papers, the core collection and Nadia Nerina’s archive.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Costume design by Osbert Lancaster (1908-1986) for Colas' Friends in Frederick Ashton's ballet <i>La Fille mal gardée</i>.  Four male figures wearing white shirts, neckcloths, waistcoats, breeches and tights.  The figure to the far left, labelled 'H', wears a red neckcloth with black spots, a mint green waistcoat, tan breeches and black and white striped tights.  A pencil sketch showing the back of the torso has been drawn to the upper left of this first figure.  The second figure, labelled 'D' wears a yellow neckcloth with red spots, a red waistcoat, green breeches with a brown belt and yellow tights.  The third figure, labelled 'E',  wears a blue neckcloth with white spots, a yellow waistcoat, brown breeches and grey tights.  The figure on the far right, labelled 'F', wears a red neckcloth, blue waistcoat, grey breeches with a brown belt and white tights.  Four fabric swatches in various shades of grey are attached to the lower edge of the paper, and a further red-brown swatch is attached to the upper edge. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lancaster, Osbert (Sir)","id":"A13684"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"designing","id":"THES268626"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour, pencil and ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"none","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356599"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}],[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}],[{"text":"paintings","id":"AAT33618"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1960","earliest":"1960-01-01","latest":"1960-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":"probably"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the estate of David Dean","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"29","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"01/10/2018","earliest":"2018-10-01","latest":"2018-10-01"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"39","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"01/10/2018","earliest":"2018-10-01","latest":"2018-10-01"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'11'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed and circled in black ink, upper left of paper."},{"content":"'H'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in blue ink beside the red-brown fabric swatch."},{"content":"'Back'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil with a line connecting to the pencil sketch of the back of the torso."},{"content":"'[silbad soth] / matching colour / Out'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil with a line connecting to the right shoulder of the first figure.  First two words written unclearly."},{"content":"'Felt / corduroy / Thick wool'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil along the left side of the first figure, with lines connecting to the waistcoat, breeches and tights."},{"content":"'H / Ole Fatum'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in blue ink and pencil beneath the first figure."},{"content":"'D / X / H / A'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in blue ink and pencil above (D / X), to the right (H), and between the legs (A) of the second figure."},{"content":"'yellow tights / F. Kjerulf. / Lawrence / [Grafel] / x'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil, blue and black ink.  The last word has been rubbed out and is unclear."},{"content":"'E / X'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in blue ink and pencil above the third figure."},{"content":"'[Enal Halum]'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil beside the third figure, written unclearly."},{"content":"'Colas / X'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil and black ink below the third figure, partly obscured by the grey fabric swatches.  Further words have also been obscured."},{"content":"'F / F / X / F'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in blue ink and pencil, upper right corner, above and to the right (next to the shoulder) of the fourth figure."},{"content":"'white tights / plaisted / [H. Halby] & / HOWARD / X'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in black ink, blue ink and pencil in the lower right corner next to the fourth figure.  Some words written unclearly."},{"content":"'LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil, lower left corner."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Osbert Lancaster for Colas' Friends, labelled no. 11, for <i>La Fille mal gardée</i> at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1960","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.441-2018"],"accessionNumberNum":"441","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2018,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-09","recordCreationDate":"2019-03-09","availableToBook":true}}