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Oliver Messel

British · 1904–1978 · Painter

Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel was an English artist and one of the foremost stage designers of the 20th century. (Wikipedia)

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38auction results2015–2026years recorded95%sold (36)$1.9kSign up free to seemedian price

1 work by Oliver Messel coming up at auction · bid with the house ↓

Record prices

  1. Oliver Messel, Eight costume designs, to include three from Gigi, 1973, variously watercolour, gouache and pencilEight costume designs, to include three from GigiBonhams · £10,240≈ $13,821≈ €12,139Sign up to see
  2. Oliver Messel, Seven costume designs for opera and ballet, to include examples for The Sleeping Beauty, 1946 and The Marriage of Figaro, 1955, Comprising designs for:Seven costume designs for opera and ballet, to include examples for The Sleeping Beauty, 1946 and The Marriage of FigaroBonhams · £7,040≈ $9,502≈ €8,345Sign up to see
  3. Oliver Messel, Set Design for The Country Wife, 1936, oil on canvasSet Design for The Country WifeBonhams · $7,680≈ £5,917≈ €7,110Sign up to see

Oliver Messel’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).

Coming up at auction

1 in forthcoming sales · bid with the house

Listed from the auction houses’ own websites; estimates are the houses’ own, not results.

ArtSell has recorded 38 auction results for Oliver Messel between 2015 and 2026, of which 36 sold (95%). Recorded sale prices range from $384Sign up free to see to $13.8kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $13.8kSign up free to see for Eight costume designs, to include three from Gigi at Bonhams in June 2025. The most common medium is watercolors (20 lots). Most results come from Bonhams (28), Lyon & Turnbull (4) and Toovey's (3).

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39 results

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  1. Oliver Messel, Two Costume Designs for Queen of Spades, watercolour, chalk and pencil on paper
    Two Costume Designs for Queen of Spades
    Watercolor · Paper
    36 x 23.5cm (14 3/16 x 9 1/4in). (2)
    Bonhams · · Lot 41
    £1,408≈ $1,882≈ €1,641Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £600–800View at Bonhams ↗
  2. Oliver Messel, THREE SKETCHES FOR WEDDING DECORATIONS - A CIRCULAR TEMPLE OF TRESTLED COLUMNS; A SIMPLE LITTLE TENT; SKETCH FOR THE ANTE ROOM, 1952, ink, charcoal, watercolour and gouache on paper
    THREE SKETCHES FOR WEDDING DECORATIONS - A CIRCULAR TEMPLE OF TRESTLED COLUMNS; A SIMPLE LITTLE TENT; SKETCH FOR THE ANTE ROOM, 1952
    Watercolor · Paper
    25.3cm x 35.4cm (10in x 14in) each
    Lyon & Turnbull · · Lot 137
    £882≈ $1,158≈ €1,002Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £600–800View at Lyon & Turnbull ↗
  3. Oliver Messel, Eight costume designs for Comus, New Theatre, 1942, variously watercolour, gouache and pencil
    Eight costume designs for Comus, New Theatre, 1942
    Watercolor
    56 x 38cm (22 1/16 x 14 15/16in). (the largest)
    Bonhams · · Lot 57
    £1,920≈ $2,591≈ €2,276Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £800–1,200View at Bonhams ↗
  4. Oliver Messel, A costume design for Stewart Granger as 'Apollodorus' in Caesar and Cleopatra, 1945, watercolour and pencil
    A costume design for Stewart Granger as 'Apollodorus' in Caesar and Cleopatra, 1945
    Watercolor
    57 x 39.5cm (22 7/16 x 15 9/16in).
    Bonhams · · Lot 58
    £704≈ $950≈ €835Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £400–600View at Bonhams ↗
  5. Oliver Messel, Four headdress designs for Vivien Leigh as 'Cleopatra' in Ceasar and Cleopatra, 1946, pencil, three with gold paint
    Four headdress designs for Vivien Leigh as 'Cleopatra' in Ceasar and Cleopatra, 1946
    Drawing
    38 x 25cm (14 15/16 x 9 13/16in).(the largest)
    Bonhams · · Lot 59
    £3,584≈ $4,837≈ €4,248Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £1,200–1,800View at Bonhams ↗
  6. Oliver Messel, A set design for 'The Fairy of the Enchanted Garden' from The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Opera House, 1946, watercolour, gouache, pen and ink and charcoal
    A set design for 'The Fairy of the Enchanted Garden' from The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Opera House, 1946
    Watercolor
    40 x 54.5cm (15 3/4 x 21 7/16in).
    Bonhams · · Lot 60
    £2,816≈ $3,801≈ €3,338Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £800–1,200View at Bonhams ↗
  7. Oliver Messel, Seven costume designs for opera and ballet, to include examples for The Sleeping Beauty, 1946 and The Marriage of Figaro, 1955, Comprising designs for:
    Seven costume designs for opera and ballet, to include examples for The Sleeping Beauty, 1946 and The Marriage of Figaro, 1955
    Comprising designs for:
    38 x 25cm (14 15/16 x 9 13/16in). (for unmounted examples)
    Bonhams · · Lot 61
    £7,040≈ $9,502≈ €8,345Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £3,000–5,000View at Bonhams ↗
  8. Oliver Messel, Two costume designs for Tough at the Top, Adelphi Theatre, 1949, watercolour and pencil
    Two costume designs for Tough at the Top, Adelphi Theatre, 1949Attributed to the artist
    Watercolor
    36.5 x 24.5cm (14 3/8 x 9 5/8in). (each)
    Bonhams · · Lot 62
    £768≈ $1,037≈ €910Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £600–800View at Bonhams ↗
  9. Oliver Messel, Eight costume designs, to include an example for Ariadne auf Naxos, 1950, variously watercolour, gouache and pencil, some with pen and ink and gold/silver paint
    Eight costume designs, to include an example for Ariadne auf Naxos, 1950
    Watercolor
    50.25 x 33.75cm (19 13/16 x 13 5/16in). (the largest)
    Bonhams · · Lot 63
    £1,280≈ $1,728≈ €1,517Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £2,000–3,000View at Bonhams ↗
  10. Oliver Messel, A set design for Ring Round the Moon, Globe Theatre, 1950, gouache, watercolour, chalk and pencil
    A set design for Ring Round the Moon, Globe Theatre, 1950
    Gouache
    22.5 x 35.5cm (8 7/8 x 14in).
    Bonhams · · Lot 65
    £2,048≈ $2,764≈ €2,428Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £600–800View at Bonhams ↗

Oliver Messel paintings (5)Oliver Messel oil paintings (4)Oliver Messel works on paper (29)Oliver Messel watercolors (20)Oliver Messel gouaches (5)

Oliver Messel: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Oliver Messel at auction?

$13,821Sign up free to see, for Eight costume designs, to include three from Gigi at Bonhams (June 2025) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Oliver Messel?

The median sale price is $1.9kSign up free to see across 36 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Oliver Messel have sold at auction?

36 of 38 recorded lots sold between 2015 and 2026.

Which auction houses sell Oliver Messel?

Bonhams, Lyon & Turnbull and Toovey's account for the most recorded results. Bonhams · Lyon & Turnbull · Toovey's

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