Yvonne Blake - Female character sketch for the film *Música...
Yvonne Blake - Female character sketch for the film *Música de ayer* - Handwritten inscription by the artist, in pencil, in the upper right corner: "*Música de Ayer* - / Doña Lola - 2 - / At her home - ". "Printed batiste / or organza." "Falla or / ottoman -". Signed and dated 1958 in the lower right corner. Dimensions: 350 x 251 mm. This drawing features a small fabric swatch attached to the sheet with a pin, related to the costume designed by Blake.
Costume sketch for a female character in the Spanish film *Música de Ayer*, released in 1958 and directed by Juan de Orduña, produced by Producciones Orduña Films, in which Ana María Olaria plays the lead role of Laura Gayán.
We believe that Ivonne Blake’s design on this occasion must correspond to one of the scenes in which Laura asks Doña Lola for help, prior to the protagonist’s marriage to Don Esteban.
The renowned film and theater costume designer Yvonne Blake (Manchester, 1940 – Madrid, 2018) won her Academy Award at the 44th ceremony for Best Costume Design for the film *Nicholas and Alexandra* (directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, 1971), the same ceremony at which Charlie Chaplin received his Honorary Oscar.
Blake is remembered as the designer of the Superman costume (directed by Richard Donner, 1978) worn by Christopher Reeve; the filming of which was plagued by difficulties caused by the fabrics and colors of the fictional hero’s attire.
She won four Goya Awards in Spain for Best Costume Design for *Remando al viento* (1988), *Canción de cuna* (1994), *Carmen* (2003), and *El puente de San Luis Rey* (2004).
Her film costume designs appeared in movies starring prominent actors and actresses such as Sophia Loren (*The Venus of Anger* in Israel, directed by Daniel Mann, 1966), Liza Minnelli (*Fahrenheit 451*, directed by François Truffaut), Michael Caine and Omar Sharif (The Last Valley, directed by James Clavell), Anthony Hopkins (All Creatures Great and Small), Elizabeth Taylor (An Hour in the Night), Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn (Robin and Marian), Ava Gardner (Harem), Al Pacino (Looking for Richard), not to mention his notable role in the musical *Jesus Christ Superstar* (by Andrew Lloyd Webber).
She collaborated with the prestigious Peris Hermanos fashion house, beginning in the 1960s, on the final production of her designs. With Gonzalo Suárez, she worked on *Rowing Against the Wind*, *Don Juan in Hell*, *The Anonymous Queen*, and *The Detective and Death*; with Vicente Aranda, on *Carmen* and *Tirante el Blanco*.
Although she was not an actress, she was the first woman to be awarded the National Film Award in 2012 and served as President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AACCE) in 2016. She passed away in Madrid in July 2018.
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Yvonne Blake - Female character sketch for the film *Música de ayer* - Handwritten inscription by the artist, in pencil, in the upper right corner: "*Música de Ayer* - / Doña Lola - 2 - / At her home - ". "Printed batiste / or organza." "Falla or / ottoman -". Signed and dated 1958 in the lower right corner. Dimensions: 350 x 251 mm. This drawing features a small fabric swatch attached to the sheet with a pin, related to the costume designed by Blake.
Costume sketch for a female character in the Spanish film *Música de Ayer*, released in 1958 and directed by Juan de Orduña, produced by Producciones Orduña Films, in which Ana María Olaria plays the lead role of Laura Gayán.
We believe that Ivonne Blake’s design on this occasion must correspond to one of the scenes in which Laura asks Doña Lola for help, prior to the protagonist’s marriage to Don Esteban.
The renowned film and theater costume designer Yvonne Blake (Manchester, 1940 – Madrid, 2018) won her Academy Award at the 44th ceremony for Best Costume Design for the film *Nicholas and Alexandra* (directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, 1971), the same ceremony at which Charlie Chaplin received his Honorary Oscar.
Blake is remembered as the designer of the Superman costume (directed by Richard Donner, 1978) worn by Christopher Reeve; the filming of which was plagued by difficulties caused by the fabrics and colors of the fictional hero’s attire.
She won four Goya Awards in Spain for Best Costume Design for *Remando al viento* (1988), *Canción de cuna* (1994), *Carmen* (2003), and *El puente de San Luis Rey* (2004).
Her film costume designs appeared in movies starring prominent actors and actresses such as Sophia Loren (*The Venus of Anger* in Israel, directed by Daniel Mann, 1966), Liza Minnelli (*Fahrenheit 451*, directed by François Truffaut), Michael Caine and Omar Sharif (The Last Valley, directed by James Clavell), Anthony Hopkins (All Creatures Great and Small), Elizabeth Taylor (An Hour in the Night), Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn (Robin and Marian), Ava Gardner (Harem), Al Pacino (Looking for Richard), not to mention his notable role in the musical *Jesus Christ Superstar* (by Andrew Lloyd Webber).
She collaborated with the prestigious Peris Hermanos fashion house, beginning in the 1960s, on the final production of her designs. With Gonzalo Suárez, she worked on *Rowing Against the Wind*, *Don Juan in Hell*, *The Anonymous Queen*, and *The Detective and Death*; with Vicente Aranda, on *Carmen* and *Tirante el Blanco*.
Although she was not an actress, she was the first woman to be awarded the National Film Award in 2012 and served as President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AACCE) in 2016. She passed away in Madrid in July 2018.
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