Costume Design for a Valet, likely for the Ballet 'Les Papillons', premiered at the Théâtre de Monte-Carlo, 1914
Drawing with a costume design for a valet, likely for the ballet 'Les Papillons,' by Léon Bakst. Les Papillons was premiered at the Théâtre de Monte-Carlo in 1914, performed by the Ballets Russes led by Serge Diaghilev. The designs for this ballet marked the end of a break of almost two years in which Bakst stopped collabroating with Diaghilev. Although Bakst was recognized for the orientalist inspiration and a sensational style, the designs for this ballet were much more pared down, with a subtler use of color and a less sensuous line of the body, which by 1914 had become an essential part of the Ballet Russes and the modern ballet scene in Paris.
This drawing presents a standing male figure with a greenish-brown jacket with white borders, tied around the waist with a thin belt, white pantaloons, and black boots. The head is adorned by a black top hat, and the arm carries a white shawl with fringed border and geometric motifs executed with blue, orange, and red.
This drawing presents a standing male figure with a greenish-brown jacket with white borders, tied around the waist with a thin belt, white pantaloons, and black boots. The head is adorned by a black top hat, and the arm carries a white shawl with fringed border and geometric motifs executed with blue, orange, and red.
Artwork Details
- Title: Costume Design for a Valet, likely for the Ballet 'Les Papillons', premiered at the Théâtre de Monte-Carlo, 1914
- Artist: Léon Bakst (Russian (born present day Belarus), Hrodna (Grodno) 1866–1924 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1914
- Medium: Gouache and graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 10 5/8 in. × 7 in. (27 × 17.8 cm)
- Classifications: Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Bequest of Sallie Blumenthal, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.787.11
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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