No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Leon bakst was an extraordinary costume and scene designer who was closely associated with artists like sergei diaghilev and alexandre benois. Ballets russes costumes leon bakst design for the chief eunuch scheherazade i know the ballets russes is one of those su. Bakst designed more of diaghilevs ballets russes productions than any other artist associated with the company, while also working as a freelance dress and costume designer for select clients. He was a costume designer with the influential ballet russe the russian ba. Ballet russe costume design by leon bakst papillons, watercolor and pencil. A much underestimated figure in russian art, leon bakst is best known for the decorative art which he created for sergei diaghilev and the ballets russes. This kind of responsible business practice is hard, if not impossible, to find. He was a member of the sergei diaghilev circle and the ballets russes, for which he. Garrett was accompanying her diplomat husband in europe, bakst soon depended upon garrett as both a confidante and agent. The text from the biography has been completely rewritten here and broadened to place bakst s work in the context of the ballets russes and russian culture at the beginning of the twentieth century. See more ideas about russian ballet, leon and costume design. Illustrations of some of leon baksts designs for the ballets russes. Leon bakst b grodno, russialithuania border now belarus 10 may 1866 d.
The art of costume 01 by robert bell, christine dixon isbn. Diaghilev and the lasting style of the ballets russes the exquisite costumes of sergei diaghilevs legendary ballets russes can now be seen at a new exhibition at. He quickly became wellknown for the productions of sergei diaghilev, with whom he cofounded the ballet russes, a ballet production group. Artwork analysis, large resolution images, user comments, interesting facts and much more. Diaghilev and the lasting style of the ballets russes. The painter, stage designer, and theoretician leon bakst 18661924 was known for having been the main collaborator of the ballets russes and the paris opera. Veronica horwell on the ballet company that redefined fashion. He was immediately made a member of the core group at the ballets russes, along with impresario serge diaghilev, designer alexander benois, and ballet master mikhail fokine. His dramatic, innovative designs emphasised colour, violence and sensuality, energising the ballet s exotic and fantastical subject matter and characters. Lady in waiting costume designed by leon bakst for the sleeping princess production by the ballets russes.
Baksts greatest claim to theatrical glory lies in his feeling for synthesis, in his impeccable instinct for harmony levinson. In his first season, baksts set designs for cleopatra caused a great sensation. In 1909 artist leon bakst 18661924 moved from his native russia to paris. Sep 19, 2010 diaghilev and the lasting style of the ballets russes the exquisite costumes of sergei diaghilevs legendary ballets russes can now be seen at a new exhibition at the victoria and albert museum in. Beginning in 1909, bakst worked mainly as a set and costume designer, creating elaborate stage designs and flowing costumes for the dancers.
He continued working with the ballets russes, becoming the artistic director in 1911, until 1919. The ballets russes productions had been conceived in the context of powerful and emotional artistic collaboration, and their costumes command attention as persuasive works of art in their own right, long after they ceased to be worn on stage. In 1922, bakst broke off his relationship with diaghilev and the ballets russes. Charles spencers biography of leon bakst, written in 1973, was the first fulllength study of the artist since his death in 1924. The ballets russes ballet master, serge grigoriev, noted that as diaghilev began to lose interest in the company in the later 1920s, kochno took on more and more administrative and artistic responsibility. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Diaghilev and the lasting style of the ballets russes telegraph. Portrait of zinaida gippius 1906 worlds best painters for top creative practitioners, see. As part of the ballets russes very first programme in paris, bakst designed orientalstyle decor and costumes for michel fokines egyptian themed ballet cleopatre 1909.
Jun 10, 2016 the exotic stage and costume designs of russianborn designer leon bakst, made famous at the ballets russes, are on display in a major retrospective in moscow which examines his shock impact on. His fame lay in the sets and costumes he designed for serge diaghilevs. The decorative art of leon bakst english and french edition by arsene alexandre and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. His exotic and sumptuous designs, in conjunction with diaghilevs radical and provocative choreography, helped revitalize ballet and lay the framework for modern interpretive dance. Costume design for the ballet cleopatra, 1909 leon bakst. From the ballets russes to haute couture exhibitions. Combining social and cultural history with illuminating discussions of dance, drama, music, art, economics, and public reception, lynn garafola paints an extraordinary portrait of. It was the ballet russes that first brought tchaikovskys sleeping beauty renamed sleeping princess to the west in 1921, featuring scenery and costumes by bakst. May 24, 20 the exhibition diaghilev and the ballets russes, 19091929, at the national gallery of art in washington, celebrates the synergy of dance with music and visual arts. Leon bakst and the ballets russes charles spencer on. Nijinska brought many costumes with her when she moved to the us at the outbreak of the second world war. In 1909 diaghilev bought a ballet company later named ballets russes and on 19 may, after weeks of publicity, opened his first saison russe season of russian ballet in paris. Bakst reimagined the richness of russian folklore and 18thcentury france.
New sleeping beauty costumes are inspired by historical works. Sets and costumes by leon bakst set design for a ballet production of rimskykorsakovs scheherazade, but leon bakst. Diaghilev and the ballets russes, at national gallery the. The exhibition diaghilev and the ballets russes, 19091929, at the national gallery of art in washington, celebrates the synergy of dance with music and visual arts. When i contacted the seller they immediately refunded my money. George balanchine georgii melitonovich balanchivadze, d.
Costumes for le train bleu, designed by coco chanel, about 1924. Ballets russes programme officiel a palais des beaux. Leon bakst first edition leon bakst bauman rare books. Although this production was never realised, from that time bakst concentrated on designing both sets and costumes for various theatres in st petersburg. When art danced with music exhibit, currently on display at the national gallery of art, captures the wonder of an influential team of artists that changed the course of fashion and the performing arts in the early part of the 20th century. When published in 1973, charles spencers biography of bakst, the greatest designer of the ballets russes, was the first fulllength study of the artist since his death in 1924. Diaghilevs greatest achievement was his dance company the ballets russes. Leon bakst was the most brilliant and daring costume designer of his time, his influence so radical and pervasive that the first two decades of the twentieth century have been called the bakst era. In fokines ballets, the theme dictated the style of the choreography, music and design. While the dances performed by the ballets russes appeared revolutionary, they drew on existing traditions of ballet production. During this year, he visited baltimore and, specifically evergreen house the residence of his american friend and patron, art philanthropist alice warder garrett 18771952. In 1914, bakst was elected a member of the imperial academy of arts. In 1909, bakst was invited to design productions for the first saison russe in paris.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Photograph of leon bakst with the ballerina olga spessivtseva, 1921, england. The fauns costume rendering which beautifully graces most of the promotional material for the exhibit. Bakst by bakst, leon and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Diaghilev and the ballets russes, the national gallery of art the costumes from the afternoon of a faun 1912 are some of the most iconic by bakst. Timeline of ballets russes articles and essays ballets. Leon bakst was the most brilliant and daring costume designer of his time, his. Associate curator femke speelberg highlights a selection of costume and set designs that russian artist leon bakst created for the ballets russes. A creator of stage designs and costumes for a number of masterpieces sheherazade, the spirit of the rose, the afternoon of a faun, and daphnis and chloe and a tireless worker, bakst built a work that revolutionised not only. Costumes for brigands in fokines ballet daphnis and chloe, designed by leon bakst, 1912.
Leon bakst was a russian painter and costume designer. A gifted painter, bakst is best remembered for the sets and costumes he designed for diaghilevs ballets russes in the early decades of the 20th century. The ballet was a failure at the premiere in paris, on may 1912 at the theatre du chatelet. Diaghilev and the ballets russes, at national gallery. Music by anton arensky, with additional music by aleksandr glazunov, mikhail glinka, modest mussorgsky, nikolai rimskykorsakov, sergei taneyev, nikolai tcherepnin. Diaghilevs ballets russes is the most authoritative history of the company ever written and the first to examine it as a totalityits art, enterprise, and audience. See more ideas about russian ballet, leon and theatre costumes.
Nov 19, 2010 veronica horwell on the ballet company that redefined fashion. See more ideas about ballet russe, ballet, russian ballet. Russia showcases flamboyant ballets russes designer leon bakst. Bakst started his career as a book illustrator and painter, achieving only.
His designs for the ballets russes, especially during its heyday 190914, were opulent, innovative, and extraordinary, and his influence on fashion and interior design was widespread. Shortly after designing costumes for the ballets russes piece jeux, leon bakst collaborated with the couture house paquin in 19, and continued to engage with dress and textile design up to his death in 1924, variously embracing oriental, neoclassical and russian ethnic aesthetic idioms. Leon bakst born as leybkhaim izrailevich later samoylovich rosenberg. Aug 31, 20 the beauty of the ballets russes when it premiered its russian ballets in paris in the early twentieth century springs from the costumes that leon bakst designed for it. As the driving force of the company, diaghilev gathered a wide range of composers, choreographers, designers and performers, but maintained ultimate control over every aspect of the productions. The beauty of the ballets russes when it premiered its russian ballets in paris in the early twentieth century springs from the costumes that leon bakst designed for it. Convinced of his own creative genius, bakst never ceased to study or to grapple with ethnic bias, becoming a true citizen of the world and an artist of international reputation, thanks especially to his radical sets and costumes for diaghilevs ballets russes. Costume design of the peri for the ballet field duke peri is one of artworks by lev leon bakst. When published in 1973, charles spencers biography of bakst, the greatest designer of the ballets russes, was the first fulllength study of the. Leon bakst, jewish russian artist who revolutionized theatrical design both in scenery and in costume. New sleeping beauty costumes are inspired by historical. Associate curator femke speelberg highlights a selection of costume and set designs that russian artist leon bakst created for the ballets. Find inspiration in our incredible range of exclusive gifts, jewellery, books.
1427 230 1569 975 1332 657 313 392 1208 670 1000 8 545 1577 99 416 474 25 370 1611 339 860 660 1490 1224 1145 1044 938 174 104 1490 994 24 45 311 443 1041 863