A much underestimated figure in Russian art, Leon Bakst is best known for the decorative art which he created for Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes. Fired by his love of colour, his brightly painted sets and richly coloured costumes combined extravagant designs with refined details to convey a heady atmosphere of Slavonic orientalism. This mixture of modern art with traditional Russian folk art inspired dancers and audiences alike. He became artistic director for Diaghilev in 1909, and his stage designs rapidly brought him international fame. Among his finest creations were the designs for Tchaikovsky's ballet Sleeping Beauty (London, 1921). Bakst also excelled at graphic art, indeed his first real success came in 1898 after he co-founded the influential "World of Art" group, sponsored by Savva Mamontov (1841-1918), and took charge of the illustration of the group's "World of Art" periodical. His exceptional talent at drawing and sketching is exemplified by his pen and ink drawing of Isadora Duncan (1908, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford).
Although less well-known than many of his contemporaries, Bakst remains one of the most influential of Russian artists, and was chiefly responsible for the visual impact of the Ballets Russes. He revolutionised the design of theatrical scenery and costumes, and ranks among the most influential modern artists of the early 20th century.
For full biographical notes on Bakst see part 1, and for earlier works, see parts 1 - 5 also.
This is part 6 of 9 on the works of Léon Bakst:
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| 1915 Costume design for Ménade |
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| 1916 Nude Study: Ida Rubinstein's Back sanguine on paper 31.5 x 40 cm |
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| 1916 Study of a Kneeling Nude sanguine on paper |
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| 1916 Portrait of James H. Hyde, Jr. pencil on paper 34.3 cm diameter |
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| 1916 Ballet Russes programme |
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| 1916 The Yellow Sultana charcoal, watercolour and gouache, heightened with gold, on two joined sheets of paper 46.5 x 68 cm |
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| 1914 Costume design for La légende de Joseph |
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| 1914 Costume design for Potiphar's wife in La légende de Joseph graphite, watercolour and gold on laid paper 48.3 x 33 cm Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco |
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| 1914 Costume design for La légende de Joseph pencil, watercolour and gold paint Russian Museum, St Petersburg |
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| 1914-24 Costume design for La légende de Joseph watercolour, with graphite, metallic paint and gouache, on ivory laid paper, laid down on white Japanese paper 32.2 x 24.1 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| n.d. Costume design for Potiphar's Wife in La légend de Joseph gouache, gold and silver paint over pencil on paper |
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| n.d. Costume Design for Potiphar's Wife in La légend de Joseph watercolour, gold paint and pencil on paper |
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| n.d. Costume Design for Potiphar's Wife in La légend de Joseph watercolour, silver paint and pencil on paper |
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| n.d. Costume design for La légende de Joseph charcoal and gouache on paper |
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| n.d. Costume designs for La légende de Joseph |
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| Costume designed by Bakst for Mme. Marie Kousenetzoff as Potiphar's Wife at Drury Lane |
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| 1915 Costume design for Girl in a Green Dress in Ballet Boutique Fantasque watercolour, gouache and graphite on ivory laid paper laid down on board 44.8 x 29.4 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1917 Costume design for Woman in a Black Coat, for Ballet Boutique Fantasque pencil, watercolour and gouache on ivory laid paper laid down on board 44.9 x 29.5 cm |
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| 1917 Costume design for Young Woman in Ballet Boutique Fantasque pencil, watercolour and gouache on ivory laid paper laid down on board 44.8 x 29.4 cm |
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| 1918 Costume design for the Russian Doll in Ballet Boutique Fantasque pencil, watercolour and gouache on paper 48.5 x 32.5 cm |
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| 1916 Costume design for Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur: Silvestra pencil, watercolour and gouache, heightened with silver and gold, on paper 49 x 32.6 cm McNay Art Museum, Providence, Rhode Island |
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| 1917 Costume design for Constanza in Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur watercolour on paper |
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| 1917 Costume design for Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur watercolour |
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| 1917 Costume design for Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur: Niccolo pencil, watercolour and gouache, heightened with silver, on paper 49 x 33 cm |
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| 1917 Costume design for Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur watercolour on paper 39.5 x 26.5 cm V&A, London |
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| 1917 Souvenir Programme: Costume design for Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur |
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| Costume for Mariuccia in Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur V&A, London |
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| Set design for Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur |
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| 1916 Costume design for Aladin, ou la Lampe Merveilleuse pencil, ink and watercolour, heightened with gold, on paper 30.8 x 15.4 cm |
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| c1919 Costume design for Indian with a Nosegay in Aladin, ou la Lampe Merveilleuse watercolour, gouache and metallic paint on paper, mounted on board 48.9 x 33 cm McNay Art Museum, Providence, Rhode Island |
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| n.d. Costume design for Aladin, ou la Lampe Merveilleuse: Barbison pencil, ink and watercolour, heightened with gold, on paper laid down on card 24.5 x 17.6 cm |
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| n.d. Costume design for Aladin, ou La Lampe Merveilleuse |
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| Set design for Aladin, ou La Lampe Merveilleuse pencil and gouache 19.3 x 26.4 cm |
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| 1916 Costume design for a Fairy in La Belle au Bois Dormant gouache, watercolour, silver paint and pencil on paper laid down on cardboard |
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| 1916 Costume design for Prince Espagnol in La Belle au Bois Dormant gouache, watercolour, gold paint and pencil on paper mounted on cardboard |
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| 1920 Costume design for the Lilac Fairy in La Belle au Bois Dormant pencil and watercolour heightened with gold on paper 29 x 17 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: Baronne pencil and watercolour, heightened with white, silver and gold, on paper 29.3 x 22.3 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: Le Loup pencil and watercolour, heightened with silver, on paper 49 x 33 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: Le Page de la Fée Lilas pencil and watercolour, heightened with white and silver, on paper 29.6 x 22.3 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: Le Prince Charmant à la Cour pencil and watercolour, heightened with white, silver and gold, on paper 29 x 19 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: Mazurka dancer in pink pencil and watercolour, heightened with silver, on paper 28 x 19.9 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: Mazurka dancer pencil and watercolour, heightened with white, gold and silver, on paper 33.2 x 26 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: The Marchioness (Hunting) pencil, watercolour and gouache, heightened with gold, on paper 29.5 x 23 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant watercolour and pencil on paper 28.2 x 21.7 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant: The Chinese Mandarin pencil, watercolour and gouache, heightened with gold, on paper 40.5 x 26 cm |
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| 1921 Costume design for La Belle au Bois Dormant |
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| 1921 Costume design for Le Prince Charmant à la Cour in La Belle au Bois Dormant pencil, watercolour, body-colour and gold paint on paper laid down on card 29.2 x 17.8 cm |
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| 1922 Costume design for La belle au bois dormant colour lithograph |
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| 1922 Costume design for La belle au bois dormant |
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| n.d. Costume design for La belle au bois dormant: Le Page de la fée Canari pencil, ink and watercolour, heightened with gold, on paper laid down on board 67.5 x 48.7 cm |