{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O224720"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O224720/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GJ8484/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GJ8484/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GJ8484","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O224720","accessionNumber":"S.76-2007","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"Costume Design","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Kenneth Rowell (1922-1999) was born in Melbourne, Australia.  His original ambition was to be a dancer, but realising his physical limitations, he turned to theatre design.  His third design, for the Walter Gore ballet <i>Winter Night</i> given by Ballet Rambert during their Australian tour in 1949, brought him to Marie Rambert's attention, and she and Laurence Olivier recommended him for a British Council scholarship, which brought him to England in 1950 to study scenic design.  He came under the influence of John Gielgud and, only two years later, the commission to design <i>Macbeth</i> for Gielgud's production at Stratford established him as a major theatre designer. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, he designed a wide range of plays, operas and, especially, ballets, both in England and Australia, and also established himself as a distinguished painter before returning to live in Australia in the 1980s.  \r\n\r\nHis designs trod the line between paintings and working designs, building up textures in paint, collage or wood relief to indicate the fabrics and look that he required, evocations of the design and mood of the work rather than finished working drawings, but, translated into fabric, canvas and paint, the results were truly theatrical and magical.","physicalDescription":"Full length female figure in brown, black and grey patterned over dress with full skirt and puffed sleeves. Visible underneath is brightly patterned tunic and harem pants. She wears a multi-coloured plumed headdress.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Rowell, Kenneth","id":"A5323"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"Wax crayon","id":"x38050"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"collage","id":"AAT138699"},{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil, crayon, watercolour and paper collage.","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2013GJ8484"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES356717"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1970","earliest":"1965-01-01","latest":"1974-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Patricia Fara in memory of Stephen and Helen Fenlaugh","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"37.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"55.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signed 'Rowell'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Top right-hand side corner.  Handwritten in pencil."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Kenneth Rowell for a female figure in an unidentified opera, ca.1970","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.76-2007"],"accessionNumberNum":"76","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2007,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2009-04-15","availableToBook":true}}