24th November – 22nd December 2018
.
SELECTED COSTUME DESIGNS FROM THE ARTIST’S ESTATE
Including…
‘The Great Peacock’ / ‘Nachtpfauenauge’ 1958/1963. ‘The Oresteia’ 1961.
‘Khovanchina’ 1963. ‘The Maids’ 1964. ‘Iphigenia in Taurus’ 1964.
‘Orfeo’ 1964. ‘Phèdre’ 1966. ‘The Tempest’ 1968. ‘The Blacks’ 1969.
‘Othello’ 1970. ‘The Turn of the Screw’ 1971. ‘Requiem’ 1976.
‘Five Rückert Songs’ 1978. ‘Platea’ 1981. ‘Caravaggio’ 1986.
‘Concerto’ 1991. ‘Camino Real’ 1997.
Most of Sonnabend’s designs are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal Opera House and The Theatre Collection at Bristol University. These are selected for their particular vigour and inventiveness from a small batch forced to the surface during a recent move by the artist’s brother. The Exhibition does not pretend to be a retrospective – her output as designer and artist over 50 years was prodigious – but it does gather, for those interested in that intersection between the theatre and the fine arts, examples marked by her imagination, understanding and technical inventiveness.
.
SONNABEND CONVERSATION
.
Sarah Woodcock, former Curator of Costume and Photographs at the Theatre Museum and Jonathan Gray, Editor of Dancing Times and a former Assistant Curator at the Theatre Museum have very kindly agreed to host a Conversation about Yolanda Sonnabend and her Work during the Opening.
Seating is limited so if you would like a chair please contact us.
.
NOTE: Nothing will be sold before Midday on Saturday 24th November.
Please contact us if you an unfamilair with the buying procedure for our Exhibitions.
.
1. ‘Great Peacock’.
Gouache. Inscribed.
Design for ‘The Great Peacock’, Edinburgh International Ballet, Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, 1958, (Reworked for Stuttgart Ballet as ‘Nachtpfauenauge’, 1963) Composer: Humphrey Searle. Choreographer: Peter Wright.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
22x14.5 inches.
£975. ●
2. ‘Trial for Backcloth for / Great Peacock, Bulbs Transparent / Enormous plant – forest – weed, so / size of person diminished’.
Wax crayon, wax resist, gouache. Inscribed on the mount. Design for ‘The Great Peacock’, Edinburgh International Ballet, Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, 1958 (Reworked for Stuttgart Ballet as ‘Nachtpfauenauge’, 1963) Composer: Humphrey Searle. Choreographer: Peter Wright.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
Image: 13x21.25 inches. Mount: 21.5x28.5 inches.
£1250. ●
3. ‘The Great Peacock’.
Gouache.
Design for ‘The Great Peacock’, Edinburgh International Ballet, Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, 1958, (Reworked for Stuttgart Ballet as ‘Nachtpfauenauge’, 1963) Composer: Humphrey Searle. Choreographer: Peter Wright.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
22x15 inches.
£1250. ●
4. ‘Head dress design for ‘Furies’, The Oresteia’.
Ink and gouache. Signed. Typed label beneath mount.
Design for ‘The Oresteia’, Aeschylus, Oxford Playhouse, 1961, and Old Vic Theatre, London, 1961. Composer: Elizabeth Lutyens. Director: Milos Volanakis,. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x10.5 inches.
£1250.
5. ‘Oresteia’.
Pencil, gouache, gold paint and collage. Signed. Inscribed verso.
Designs for ‘The Oresteia’, Aeschylus, Oxford Playhouse and Old Vic Theatre, London, 1961. Composer: Elizabeth Lutyens. Director: Milos Volanakis,
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15.5x18.5 inches.
£1250. ●
6. ‘Oresteia’.
Pencil and gouache. Signed and inscribed.
Design for ‘The Oresteia’, Aeschylus, Oxford Playhouse, 1961, and Old Vic Theatre, London, 1961. Composer: Elizabeth Lutyens. Director: Milos Volanakis,
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£775. ●
7. ‘Claire’ (Susannah York) : ‘The Maids’. Ink and collage. Signed and inscribed. Design for ‘The Maids’, Greenwich Theatre, 1973, with Vivien Merchant as ‘Madame’, Glenda Jackson as ‘Solange’ and Susannah York as ‘Claire. Author: Jean Genet. Director: Minos Volanakis. Ill: p.13, catalogue ‘Yolanda Sonnabend Stage designs and Paintings’, Serpentine Gallery, 1985/86. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso. 15x10.75 inches.
£1250. ●
8. ‘Khovanchina, Barbaric Court’.
Ink, gouache, metallic paints and collage. Signed and inscribed.
Unrealised set design for the Mussorgsky opera ‘Khovanchina’. 1963.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
Image: 19x25 inches. Paper: 22x29.75 inches.
£1500. ●
9. ‘The Maids’. Pencil, watercolour, ink and collage. Inscribed verso. Design for ‘The Maids’, Greenwich Theatre, 1973, with Vivian Merchant as ‘Madame’, Glenda Jackson as ‘Solange’ and Susannah York as ‘Claire’. Author: Jean Genet. Director Minos Volanakis. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.15x11.25 inches. £975.
10. ‘Iphigenia’.
Ink, watercolour and silver paint, with spray-gun. Signed and inscribed.
Design for ‘Iphigenia in Taurus’, Euripides, Stage Sixty, Theatre Royal, Stratford East, 1964. Director: David Thompson.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x10 inches.
£800. ●
11. ‘Orfeo / Shepherd’.
Crayon, watercolour and collage. Signed and inscribed.
Design for ‘Orfeo’, Sadler’s Wells Opera, 1964 and (revised) 1970. Composer: Monteverdi. Director: Frank Hauser. Choreographer: Peter Darrell.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£800. ●
12. ‘Phedre’.
Ink, watercolour and collage. Signed. Inscribed verso.
Design for ‘Phedre’, Oxford Playhouse, 1966. Rosehill, Cumberland, 1966. Author: Racine. Director: Frank Hauser.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
18x11.25 inches.
£800.
13. ‘Antonio, The Tempest’.
Ink, watercolour, collage and sequins. Inscribed verso.
Design for ‘The Tempest’, Oxford Playhouse, 1968. Shakespeare. Composer Michael Dress, Director: Frank Hauser.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£775. ●
14. ‘Tempest’
. Pencil, ink, watercolour, collage, silver paper. Signed and inscribed.
Design for ‘The Tempest’, Oxford Playhouse, 1968, author William Shakespeare, composer Michael Dress, director Frank Hauser.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
14x18.75 inches.
£1250. ●
15. ‘The Blacks’.
Crayon and collage. Inscribed verso.
Design for ‘The Blacks’, The Roundhouse, London, 1969, European Tour, 1969-70. Author Jean Genet. Director: Minos Volanakis.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£975.
16. ‘One version for Snow / The Blacks’.
Ink and collage. Signed and inscribed.
Design for ‘The Blacks’, The Roundhouse, London, 1969, European Tour, 1969-70 Author: Jean Genet. Director: Minos Volanakis.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x10.75 inches.
£1250. ●
17. ‘The Blacks’.
Ink, gouache, wax resist and collage. Inscribed.
Backdrop design for ‘The Blacks’, The Roundhouse, London, 1969, European Tour, 1969-70. Author Jean Genet. Director Minos Volanakis.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
12.5x15.5 inches image. 17.5x22 inches paper.
£1250.
18. ‘Bobo’: ‘Adelaide Bobo’ assistant emcee in ‘The Blacks’.
Ink, watercolour and collage. Inscribed verso.
Design for ‘The Blacks’, The Roundhouse, London, 1969, European Tour, 1969-70. Author: Jean Genet. Director: Minos Volanakis.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
14x10 inches.
£975. ●
19. ‘Cassio’.
Pencil and collage. Inscribed.
Design for ‘Othello’, Oxford Playhouse, 1970. Shakespeare. Director: Frank Hauser.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£775.
20. ‘Turn of the Screw’. Ink and watercolour. Signed. Inscribed verso. Design for ‘The Turn of the Screw’, English Opera Group, Aldeburgh Festival, Snape Maltings, 1972. Composer: Benjamin Britten. Director: Colin Graham. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso. 15x22 inches. £1250.
21. ‘Turn of the Screw’. Pencil, ink and collage. Signed. Inscribed verso. Design for Flora in ‘The Turn of the Screw’, English Opera Group, Aldeburgh Festival, Snape Maltings, 1972. Composer Benjamin Britten. Director: Colin Graham. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso. 15x11 inches. £975●
22. Requiem.
Crayon, ink and watercolour.
Design for ‘Requiem’, American Ballet Theatre, 1986. Composer: Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Choreographer: Kenneth MacMillan.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£975.
23. 'Five Rückert Songs’.
Crayon, watercolour and collage. Inscribed verso.
Design for ‘Five Rückert Songs’, Scottish Ballet, 1978. Composer: Mahler. Choroegrapher: Peter Darrell.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£975.
24. ‘Page Boy / Caravaggio’
. Pencil, crayon, glitter and collage. Signed and inscribed.
Unrealised design for Derek Jarman’s ‘Caravaggio’, 1986.
Sonnabend had made the designs for Jarman’s film ‘The Tempest’ in 1979 (released 1980).
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£1250. ●
25. ‘Mercury’.Pencil, gouache and ink. Signed and inscribed. Design for ‘The Oresteia, Aeschylus, Oxford Playhouse and Old Vic Theatre, London, 1961. Composer: Elizabeth Lutyens. Director: Milos Volanakis. Ill: Cat. p.46, ‘Yolanda Sonnabend, Stage designs and Paintings’, Serpentine Gallery, 1985-86. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso. 15x11 inches. £875. ●
26. ‘Concerto’.
Pencil, ink, watercolour and collage. Signed and inscribed.
Design for ‘Concerto’: National Theatre of Portugal, 1991. Composer: Dmitri Shostakovitch. Choreographer: Kenneth MacMillan,
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’. verso.
15x11 inches.
£975. ●
27. ‘Byron, Camino Reale’ (sic.).
Ink, watercolour, gouache and collage. Signed and inscribed.
Design for ‘Camino Real’, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1997. Author: Tennessee Williams. Director: Steven Pimlott.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11 inches.
£875. ●
28. ‘Player / Hamlet’.
Gouache. Inscribed. Unrealised.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x12 inches.
£775.
29. ‘Oedipus’. Charcoal, gouache and ink. Circa ?1962. Signed and inscribed. Unrealised. Label verso ‘Set Oedipus’.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
16x21.75 inches.
£875. ●
30. Clown.
Collage, pencil and gouache. Possibly unrealised. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
16.5x11.75 inches.
£775.
31. Four Figures, possibly a Chorus.
Gouache.
Possibly unrealised. Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
16x20 inches.
£875. ●
32. ‘Judge’.
Pencil, ink and gouache. Inscribed. Circa 1965. Possibly unrealised.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15x11.5 inches.
£775.
33. Design. Study, possibly for a Backdrop.
Ink and gouache. Possibly unrealised.
Stamped ‘Sonnabend Estate / A and H’ verso.
15.75x19.75 inches.
£875. ●