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Oliver Messel
The Dancer - 20th Century British painting by Oliver Messel

circa 1960

About the Item

OLIVER MESSEL (1904-1978) Dancer Signed l.r.: Oliver Messel Oil and watercolour on paper Framed 60 by 50 in., 23 ½ by 19 ¾ cm. (Frame size 76.5 by 66.5 in., 30 by 26 ¼ cm.) Born in London, Messel was the grandson of the illustrator Linley Sambourne. After Eton he studied art at the Slade School of Art and by the early 1930s had established himself as one of Britain’s principal stage designers. Initially working for the Cochran Revues, he went on to design for many theatrical, operatic, ballet and film productions. His books included Stage Designs and Costumes, 1933; Designs for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1957 and Delightful Food, 1958. He exhibited at the Leicester Galleries and Redfern Gallery and also designed interiors and gardens of the Dorchester Hotel, Flaxley Abbey, Gloucestershire and elsewhere as well as several houses and grounds in Barbados and Mustique. The Victoria & Albert Museum hold the majority of his design archives.
  • Creator:
    Oliver Messel (1904 - 1978, British)
  • Creation Year:
    circa 1960
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 30.12 in (76.5 cm)Width: 26.19 in (66.5 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 26491stDibs: LU1028310954822
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