Facsimile signature Marie Taglioni / LA SYLPHIDE
Print
ca. 1840 (made)
ca. 1840 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Marie Taglioni was the greatest ballerina of the 19th century and the Sylph in La Sylphide her most famous role. At a time when many men idealised women, her performance as the Sylph became a symbol of ideal womanhood - feminine, spiritual, ethereal and unattainable.
Taglioni's costume for the Sylph - a low-necked, calf-length, bell-shaped diaphanous dress - became the 'uniform' for ballet dancers. In fact, in cut and shilouette, the dress is based on fashionable dress of the 1830s and 1840s and details, like the bodice cut and waistline, change with fashion until the dress 'crystallises' in the late 1840s into the dress that is recognised as a 'ballet dress' today.
The peacock feather decorations are curious, as peacock feathers are generally regarded as unlucky in the theatre, the 'eye' shape linking them to the Evil Eye.
Taglioni's costume for the Sylph - a low-necked, calf-length, bell-shaped diaphanous dress - became the 'uniform' for ballet dancers. In fact, in cut and shilouette, the dress is based on fashionable dress of the 1830s and 1840s and details, like the bodice cut and waistline, change with fashion until the dress 'crystallises' in the late 1840s into the dress that is recognised as a 'ballet dress' today.
The peacock feather decorations are curious, as peacock feathers are generally regarded as unlucky in the theatre, the 'eye' shape linking them to the Evil Eye.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Facsimile signature Marie Taglioni / LA SYLPHIDE (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Lithograph coloured by hand |
| Brief description | Marie Taglioni in La Sylphide. Lithograph coloured by hand by R J Lane after A E Chalon ca. 1840. |
| Physical description | Female dancer with, diagonally from left, a rosebush with cloud behind. The dancer faces to her right in profile, her right arm raised, left down, with her left leg raised. On her head is a coronet of roses and foliage; her white off-the-shoulder dress has frill sleeves and a pleated bodice; from her back rise wings decorated with peacock feathers; the diaphanous skirt is knee-length. Her shoe has two pink ribbon stripes. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Proof |
| Marks and inscriptions | Printed: 'Proof' |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Lady Mary Evans |
| Object history | La Sylphide was choreographed by Filippo Taglioni, Marie's father, to display her extraordinary lightness and ethereality, which perfectly matched the prevailing fashion for the supernatural. The Sylph, as immortalised in the ballet La Sylphide, was a symbol of man's desire to escape from the prosaic world; she was also an image of the perfect woman, chaste, demure and unattainable. |
| Production | Attribution note: The word 'Proof' printed on the lithograph does not indicate a test copy made for revisions. Because lithography allowed such large runs of a print, it was argued that they were of no worth as an art-print, unlike engravings, which had much smaller print runs. Printing early pulls in a run with 'Proof' was a way of making them more attactive to print collectors, although they have no extra merit over any other pull in the run. |
| Summary | Marie Taglioni was the greatest ballerina of the 19th century and the Sylph in La Sylphide her most famous role. At a time when many men idealised women, her performance as the Sylph became a symbol of ideal womanhood - feminine, spiritual, ethereal and unattainable. Taglioni's costume for the Sylph - a low-necked, calf-length, bell-shaped diaphanous dress - became the 'uniform' for ballet dancers. In fact, in cut and shilouette, the dress is based on fashionable dress of the 1830s and 1840s and details, like the bodice cut and waistline, change with fashion until the dress 'crystallises' in the late 1840s into the dress that is recognised as a 'ballet dress' today. The peacock feather decorations are curious, as peacock feathers are generally regarded as unlucky in the theatre, the 'eye' shape linking them to the Evil Eye. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2610-1986 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | October 8, 2004 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
