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| 1922 Léon Bakst by Pablo Picasso |
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 - 7 also.
This is part 8 of 9 on the works of Léon Bakst:
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1922 Costume design
(details not found) |
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1922 design, produced 1924 Panel
(Dress or Furnishing Fabric)
Silk, twill weave: screen printed
Produced by the Robinson Silk Company for Clingen and Selig, New York 140 x 100.3 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
1922 The Magic Flute by Mozart:
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1922 Costume design for the Queen of the Night
in The Magic Flute |
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1922 Costume Designs for Pamina and Monostatos in
The Magic Flute |
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| 1922 Set design for The Magic Flute |
1922-23 Judith, a dramatic comedy by Alexander Serov:
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| 1922 Costume Design for a woman in Judith |
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1922 Costume Design for an Old Jew Holding the Head of Holofernes in Judith
graphite, watercolour and silver paint on laid paper
44.6 x 20.1 cm
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco |
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| 1922 Costume design for d'Holopherne in Judith |
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| 1922 Costume design for General Hasphenor in Judith |
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1922 Costume design for General Hasphenor in Judith
pencil, watercolour, gouache, and gold and silver paint on card 48.8 x 33 cm
Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. Lugano |
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1922 Costume design for Judith, in Judith
graphite, watercolour and silver paint on laid paper
48.4 x 32.4 cm
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco |
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1922 Costume Design for Judith: a Jewish Elder
pencil, watercolour and gouache on laid paper 28 x 19 cm |
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1923 Judith with the Head of Holofernes
pencil, gouache and watercolour on paper 62.9 x 47.6 cm |
1923 La nuit ensorcelée (The bewitched night) by Frédéric Chopin:
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1923 Costume design for La nuit ensorcelée: Mireille
pencil, watercolour and gouache, heightened with silver and gold, on paper 45 x 29.5 cm |
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1923 Costume Design for La Nuit Ensorcelée
gouache and pencil heightened with gold on paper laid on board 46.3 x 31.1 cm |
1923 Phèdre (Phaedra):
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1923 Costume Design for a Valet in Phèdre
watercolour, gouache and gold paint over pencil on paper |
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1923 Costume Design for a Valet in Phèdre
watercolour, gouache and gold paint over pencil on paper |
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1923 Costume design for Ida Rubinstein as Phèdre
pencil and gouache heightened with silver on paper
48 x 32 cm |
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1923 Costume design for Ida Rubinstein as Phèdre
pencil, watercolour and silver paint on paper 48 x 33 cm |
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1923 Costume design for Ida Rubinstein as Phèdre
pencil, watercolour, silver and gold paint 47 x 32 cm |
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1923 Costume Design for Phèdre
gouache and silver paint over pencil on artist's board
29 x 22.5 cm |
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1923 Costume Design for Phèdre
watercolour over pencil on paper laid on card |
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| 1923 Costume design for The Charioteer in Phèdre |
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| 1927 Costume designs for Phèdre and Thésée |
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| 1927 Costume designs for Phèdre (detail of the above) |
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| 1927 Costume designs for Phèdre (detail of the above) |
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Costume Design for Hippolytus in Phèdre
gouache over pencil heightened with silver paint on paper |
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| Costume design for Phèdre |
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| 1923 Set design for Phèdre |
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| 1923 Set design for Phèdre |
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| 1923 Set design for Phèdre |
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c1923 Design for a Stage Prop from Phèdre
gouache with black chalk on paper 229 x 331 cm
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York |
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Design for the Staircase Frieze from Phèdre, Act II
gouache and ink on paper |
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before 1924 Octopus
gouache, heightened with gold and silver, on paper laid on board 66 x 48.2 cm |
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1924 Panel (Dress or Furnishing Fabric)
silk, twill weave: screen printed 139.1 x 99.1 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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1924 Panel (Dress or Furnishing Fabric)
silk, twill weave: screen printed
Produced by the Robinson Silk Company for Clingen and Selig, New York 137.2 x 99.1 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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1924 Panel (Dress or Furnishing Fabric)
silk, twill weave: screen printed Produced by the Robinson Silk Company for Clingen and Selig, New York 145.8 x 100 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1924 Portrait of Jean Cocteau |
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n.d. "7me Saison des Ballets Russes"
Souvenir concert programme |
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n.d. Native American
ink and watercolour drawing with wash over pencil
33.5 x 26 cm
(This drawing is believed to be an illustration for the Russian periodical Satirikon) |
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n.d. Autumn in Gatchina Park, St. Petersburg
watercolour 17.2 x 16.5 cm |
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n.d. Cathéchumène
pencil and gouache, heightened with silver, on card
28.5 x 9.4 cm |
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n.d. Cheval s'abreuvant
pencil, watercolour and gouache on laid paper, laid on cardboard 33 x 48.5 cm |
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| n.d. Costume study "The Queen of Hearts" |
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| n.d. Costume design for a Medieval Prince |
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n.d. Costume design for an Attendant
pencil and gouache, heightened with silver and gold, on paper 29 x 9 cm |
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n.d. Costume Design for an unidentified production
graphite, watercolour, gouache. and gold paint on paper
45.1 x 33.7 cm
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco |
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n.d. Costume Design
pencil and watercolour on paper laid down on card
30.2 x 23.2 cm |
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n.d. Costume Design
watercolour over pencil heightened with gold on paper laid on cardboard |
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| n.d. Costume Studies |
