{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1514351"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1514351/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MG9656/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MG9656/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MG9656","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1514351","accessionNumber":"S.206-2019","objectType":"Theatre make-up design","titles":[{"title":"The Infanta's Birthday","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Rex Whistler drew this make-up study to help Wendy Toye when she created the title role in <i>The Infanta’s Birthday</i>. This ballet, inspired by the story by Oscar Wilde, was choreographed by Penelope Spencer for a matinee by Mme Karsavina and her school in aid of King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, at the Savoy Theatre, London, on Friday, 11 March 1932. The music was by A. E. [Betty] Lutyens with ‘costumes and decorations’ by Rex Whistler. The ballet concerns a dwarf (originally played by the choreographer, Penelope Spencer), who produces an entertainment to please the princess but, realising his love for her is unrequited, dies of a broken heart. The ballet was revised and presented for two performances by the Camargo Ballet Society on 4 and 5 December 1932 at the Adelphi Theatre with Hedley Briggs as the Dwarf. The <i>Yorkshire Post</i> (05/03/1932) found the choreography confused but ‘Mr. Rex Whistler has given a pleasing grey background to his humorously resplendent costumes.’ For Arnold Haskell in the <i>New English Weekly</i>, ‘the ballet was Wendy Toye. With no effort this child was able to portray a proud, spoiled, cruel, aristocratic princess’. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Make-up design by Rex Whistler for the Infanta in Penelope Spencer’s ballet, <i>The Infanta’s Birthday</i>. Full face drawing of a woman with slit eyes and full, red, slightly down-turned lips, with luxuriant hair to each side of her face.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Whistler, Rex","id":"A5477"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour and pencil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Make-up","id":"THES274946"},{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2019MG9656"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES356709"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Theatre make-up design","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1932","earliest":"1932-01-01","latest":"1932-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Wendy Toye","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"17.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'The Infanta'\r\n\r\n","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Written in pencil, beneath design, centre\r\n\r\n"},{"content":"'Rex Whistler'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Artist's signature in ink, now faint, lower right hand corner "}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design by Rex Whistler for the Infanta’s make-up in the ballet, <i>The Infanta’s Birthday</i>, 1932","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.206-2019"],"accessionNumberNum":"206","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2019,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-18","recordCreationDate":"2019-10-18","availableToBook":true}}