 |
e: info@dianedoble.com
t: +44 (0) 117 924 7723
10 Richmond Avenue
Montpelier, Bristol BS6 5ET |
|
| Home | The Beggar's
Opera | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Order
prints |
|
 |
 |
| Possibly created in 1595 or 1596, this early comedy of Shakespeare
is a delightful marriage of court formalities, lovers’ trials
and tribulations, the cultural and prankish amusements of rustic artisans,
and the interweaving of the mystical enchantments of fairyland. In
the version with these costume designs, the play’s action moves
between formal interior court scenes and the dusty dry heat of the
surroundings beyond the palace walls, to the welcome moist coolness
of the forest. The supernatural ambience of this wooded fairy kingdom
is vibrant with magic, tangled romance, misappropriated passion and
mischievous goings-on during midsummer’s longest day and shortest
night. |
|
 |  |
Bottom is a weaver wearing simple, plant dyed and homespun
clothes of his own craft. As Bottom dozes in the forest, Oberon, the Fairy
King places an ass’s head mask on him. Bottom awakes and rises up,
not conscious of what Oberon has done to him, and moves towards the bower
where the Fairy Queen, Titania is sleeping. She is under a reality changing
spell from flower love-juice that was squeezed into her eyes by Oberon with
these puckish words, ‘What thou seest when thou dost wake, Do it for
thy true-love take.'
As she opens her eyes, the enamored Titania says to the foolish Bottom,
'Ah! what angel is that I see? Are you as wise as you are beautiful? I am
a spirit of no common rate. I love you. Go with me, and I will give you
fairies to attend upon you.' |
|
|
PRINT: £44 |
323x321mm |
|
|
|
MOUNT: £65 |
420x420mm |
|
|
|
FRAME: £98 |
Olive-gold antiqued frame: 420x420mm |
|
|
|
 |  |
| Flute is a bellows mender and one of the band of artisans
who plan in a cottage, and rehearse in the enchanted forest their ‘Rustics’/‘Mechanicals’/‘Clowns’
midsummer night’s entertainment. Flute is none to happy about playing
a female character called Thisbe. Quince: ‘You must take Thisbe on
you.’ Flute: ‘What is Thisbe? A wandering knight?’ Q:
‘It is the lady that Pyramus must love.’ F: ‘Nay, faith,
let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.’ Q: ‘That’s
all one; you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you
will.’ |
|
|
PRINT: £63 |
324x479mm |
|
|
|
MOUNT: £78 |
415x575mm |
|
|
|
FRAME: £140 |
Orange-gold antiqued frame: 415x575mm |
|
|
|
 |  |
| In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ there is
a group of unnamed fairies serving their Queen, Titania and their King,
Oberon. The costume design for this throng is concerned with emphasising
mischievous sophistication and a primeval savageness. This was influenced
by the boys in Peter Brook’s 1963 film version of William Golding’s
‘Lord of the Flies’. The costumes present a camouflaging quality
to blend into bracken foliage and tree canopy. Ironically - like ascetics
- ashes pale their bodies. |
|
|
PRINT: £56 |
322x419mm |
|
|
|
MOUNT: £71 |
415x515mm |
|
|
|
FRAME: £125 |
Olive-gold antiqued frame: 415x515mm |
|
|
|
 |  |
| Moth is - along with Cobweb, Mustardseed and Peaseblossom
- one of the named fairies serving Titania, the Fairy Queen. Titania tasks
this chosen band to serve Bottom in her bower. Titania: ‘Come, wait
upon him; lead him to my bower.’ Moth’s costume with its mask
is designed to appear like a camouflaged moth against to the bark of the
enchanted forest trees. |
|
|
PRINT: £44 |
331x317mm |
|
|
|
MOUNT: £65 |
420x420mm |
|
|
|
FRAME: £98 |
Orange-gold antiqued frame: 420x420mm |
|
|
|
 |  |
| Cobweb is a named fairy serving Titania, the Fairy Queen.
He is especially chosen by Titania to pamper Bottom in her bower. His costume
was a calico base overlaid by loose weave muslin that was interleaved with
kapok. The puffy muslin surface was sprayed lightly with olive brown French
enamel varnish, then dusted whilst wet with talcum powder. Finally, UHU
glue was dripped across the costume in textural strands to look like glistening
dewdrop cobwebs. |
|
|
PRINT: £43 |
285x357mm |
|
|
|
MOUNT: £54 |
380x455mm |
|
|
|
FRAME: £96 |
Light-gold antiqued frame: 380x455mm |
|
|
|
 |  |
| Hippolyta is Queen of the Amazons and betrothed to Theseus,
Duke of Athens. Her costumes are designed to mirror her regality, and the
intelligence and maturity of her relationship with her betrothed. Like Theseus
she symbolises order. |
|
|
PRINT: £62 |
317x478mm |
|
|
|
MOUNT: £77 |
415x575mm |
|
|
|
FRAME: £138 |
Olive-gold antiqued frame: 415x575mm |
|
|
|
 |  |
| Helena’s character seems to be the most explored one
in ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’, revealing a rollercoaster
of conflicting emotions. Lovesick and unsure of her looks and herself, Helena
experiences a gamut of misery including betrothal betrayal and abandonment
by Demetrius when he falls in love with Hermia who is then contracted to
marry him. This leads to her friendship with Hermia since childhood being
severally tested. She does not realise Hermia and Lysander love one another
and Helena’s ignorance involves her in a love triangle where she thinks
Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her. The pinks and reds of her costume
here reflect the pain, frustration and confusion of those heated feelings
that even the coolness of the enchanted forest fails to assuage until the
'happy endings' of the final scenes. |
|
|
PRINT: £63 |
324x475mm |
|
|
|
MOUNT: £78 |
415x575mm |
|
|
|
FRAME: £138 |
Olive-gold antiqued frame: 415x575mm |
|
|
|
| All content © Diane Doble 2007 |
Design: Dunstan Baker [honeyrooms.com] |
|
|