Lot 179
Desmond Heeley (British, 1931-2016). Two costume designs : Tyrel from "Richard III" - ink, watercolor, and graphite (1967) - signed and dated in pencil at lower left. Len Carion from "Coriolanus" - watercolor, gouache, and graphite (1981) - signed and dated at lower right. A pair of costume designs by celebrated British costume and set designer Desmond Heeley who was active in the international theater, ballet, and opera scene from the late 1940s until the 2010s. These costumes for Bernard Behrens as Sir James Tyrel in "Richard III" (1967) and Len Cariou as the title role "Coriolanus" (1981) were created for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Heeley created costumes and sets for many reputable theatre and opera troupes such as the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Royal National Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera, American Ballet Theater, Vienna State Opera, La Scala in Milan, as well as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Size (sight view of Coriolanus): 10.75" L x 12.875" W (27.3 cm x 32.7 cm) Size (frame of Coriolanus): 19.375" L x 21.2" W (49.2 cm x 53.8 cm)
According to Playbill's online obituary, Desmond Heeley was "known for his ability to create visual magic out of humble materials" and "won two Tony Awardsone for costume design and one for scenic designfor his work on the original Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's existential farce Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead." In addition, Heeley was a professor of theatre design at the Tisch School for the Arts at New York University as well as other universities in the US, England and Canada. In 1994, he was the first recipient of the prestigious Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award. Also according to Playbill, "His work was known not for its verisimilitude, but for its theatrical, painterly qualities." (Source: Playbill - November 15, 2022)
Provenance: private Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA collection; ex-Hugh K. Tirrell estate, representative Priscilla T. Bisher, purchased from Selker Fine Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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#175604
- Condition: Tyrel design is signed and dated in pencil at lower left. It has expected age wear with slight waviness, and there is another drawing of a figure on the verso. Coriolanus design is signed and dated at lower right. Mounted in a custom double matte and metal frame behind glass, it has not been examined outside the frame but appears to be very nice with strong drawing and coloration.
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