Noël Coward: Art & Style has opened at London’s Guildhall Art Gallery

The exhibition Noël Coward: Art & Style presently on show at the Guildhall Art Gallery gives valuable insight into the life and theatre, stage and on-screen work of the Master, and specifically into his vestiary style, and how he and his circle of influential luminaries have impacted fashion and culture, from his time up till the present day.

As a unique partnership between the City of London Corporation, The Noël Coward Foundation, and The Noël Coward Archive Trust, the exhibition was finally opened in mid-June this year, delayed from its original 2020 planned dates due to Covid restrictions.  Now running until 23 December 2021, the exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of Noël Coward’s London West End debut as a 19-year-old playwright, and also highlights his multi-faceted talent as a composer, director, actor and singer.

Bringing together never-before-seen materials from the Coward Archive, there are original pieces from Sir Noël’s productions, his homes and personal wardrobe, plus original artworks by the playwright himself and his designers. 

There are original set and costume design sketches, original vintage dresses by couturiers Molyneux, Hartnell and Stiebel, as well as contemporary fashions by designers influenced by Coward such as Georgina von Etzdorf and Anna Sui.

Other artwork included were by Oliver Messel, Cecil Beaton, Doris Zinkeisen, Oliver Smith, Gladys Calthrop, Clemence Dane, William Nicholson, and Rex Whistler.

Wendy Hyde, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, said in an August 2020 interview that this free and widely anticipated exhibition is “a must-see for anyone interested in visual art, costume and stage design, and the history of British theatre, as well as admirers of Coward’s plays, songs and films.”

Additionally Brad Rosenstein, curator of Noël Coward: Art & Style, said Coward is especially celebrated for his verbal wit, and that his original productions were also visual feasts for their audiences, a vital element of his theatrical world shaped by the extraordinary designers with whom he worked, and his own brilliance as a director. “These productions had an international influence on fashion and were reflected in Coward’s personal style – from his wardrobe to home décor – and just like his plays and songs, still seem fresh, contemporary, and surprising today,” he said.

According to Elizabeth Scott, the City of London Corporation’s Principal Curator, Guildhall Art Gallery, Noël Coward was an icon of his time, and the exhibition features some remarkable pieces of art, costume, and memorabilia to pay tribute to Coward’s enduring style and legacy. 

Photos by Lucia Carpio (C)