Not currently on display at the V&A

Marie Paul Taglioni (facsimile signature) / IN THE POSNANIA, / DANSE POLONAISE.

Print
3 June 1847 (printed and published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Marie Paul Taglioni was one of a famous family of dancers in the mid 19th century. She was the niece of Marie Taglioni, greatest of all the ballerinas of the time and her father, Paul, was a leading dancer and choreographer.

Marie Paul is performing a solo based on a Polish dance; red and white are their national colours and the square cap is a feature of their national dress. The yellow flashes on her boot heels are metal trims or small spurs that chime when the heels are clicked together, a characteristic movement in Polish folk dance.

National dances and settings were popular in the 1840s as audiences became increasingly aware of ‘abroad’ and distant locations. Scotland, Spain, Hungary, Poland and the Balkans were all popular settings and some ballets were set as far afield as India, giving the opportunity for balleticized versions of national dances, like the Cachucha, mazurka, polka, polonaise, tarentella or Cracovienne.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMarie Paul Taglioni (facsimile signature) / IN THE POSNANIA, / DANSE POLONAISE.
Materials and techniques
Lithograph coloured by hand
Brief description
Marie Paul Taglioni in the Posania. Lithograph coloured by hand drawn and engraved by John Brandard, 1847.
Physical description
The dancer is in a landscape with mountains, trees and a winding river. She stands half-turned to her left, weight on her left foot, the right pointed to the front; her right hand is raised to her ear and her left hand is at the waist. Over her low-necked, knee-length white dress is a short-sleeved skirted red jacket, trimmed with white fur, fastened at the waist. Her hair is pulled back into a long single plait finished with a red ribbon and she wears a square Polish cap, trimmed with white fur, with a cockade and a gold tassel. On her feet are pink ankle boots with red toes and low gold heels.
Dimensions
  • Height: 530mm
  • Width: 365mm
Credit line
Bequeathed by Lady Mary Evans
Object history
The print shows Marie Paul Taglioni, sometimes called Marie II, in the Posania, a Polish dance, lithograph coloured by hand drawn and engraved by John Brandard, 1847. She was the daughter of Marie Taglioni's brother, Paul, and appeared in many of her father's ballets. She was a regular visitor to London between 1847 and 1858.
Summary
Marie Paul Taglioni was one of a famous family of dancers in the mid 19th century. She was the niece of Marie Taglioni, greatest of all the ballerinas of the time and her father, Paul, was a leading dancer and choreographer.

Marie Paul is performing a solo based on a Polish dance; red and white are their national colours and the square cap is a feature of their national dress. The yellow flashes on her boot heels are metal trims or small spurs that chime when the heels are clicked together, a characteristic movement in Polish folk dance.

National dances and settings were popular in the 1840s as audiences became increasingly aware of ‘abroad’ and distant locations. Scotland, Spain, Hungary, Poland and the Balkans were all popular settings and some ballets were set as far afield as India, giving the opportunity for balleticized versions of national dances, like the Cachucha, mazurka, polka, polonaise, tarentella or Cracovienne.
Collection
Accession number
S.2621-1986

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Record createdAugust 24, 2004
Record URL
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