Not currently on display at the V&A

Thamar

Photograph
1920s (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Studio photograph of Lubov Tchernicheva in Thamar, performed by the Ballets Russes. The music was by Mily Balakirev and the choreography by Mikhail Fokine, with costumes designed by Leon Bakst. Thamar was first performed by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes on 20 May 1912 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris and in London on 12 June 1912 at the Royal Opera House. It remained in the company’s repertoire until 1929 and was revived for Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes. Lubov Tchernicheva inherited Karsavina's role and made the part very much her own.

The ballet, inspired by a poem by Lermontov and Balakirev's score, tells of Thamar, Queen of Georgia who lures strangers to her castle above the Dariel Gorge and after a night of passion kills them. As the Pall Mall Gazette claimed ‘It is a terrible dream of Eastern lust, a barbaric swirl of music colour, and life'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThamar (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Photograph on card
Brief description
Photograph by Bragaglia of Lubov Tchernicheva in Thamar, performed by the Ballets Russes, 1920s
Physical description
Studio photograph of Lubov Tchernicheva in Thamar, performed by the Ballets Russes, 1920s. The image is a head and shoulders portrait of Tchernicheva, looking away from the camera.
Dimensions
  • Mount height: 214mm
  • Mount width: 200mm
  • Image height: 199mm
  • Image width: 133mm
Credit line
Gabrielle Enthoven Collection
Object history
Given to the Gabrielle Enthoven Collection by Albert W. King, December 1934.
Summary
Studio photograph of Lubov Tchernicheva in Thamar, performed by the Ballets Russes. The music was by Mily Balakirev and the choreography by Mikhail Fokine, with costumes designed by Leon Bakst. Thamar was first performed by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes on 20 May 1912 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris and in London on 12 June 1912 at the Royal Opera House. It remained in the company’s repertoire until 1929 and was revived for Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes. Lubov Tchernicheva inherited Karsavina's role and made the part very much her own.

The ballet, inspired by a poem by Lermontov and Balakirev's score, tells of Thamar, Queen of Georgia who lures strangers to her castle above the Dariel Gorge and after a night of passion kills them. As the Pall Mall Gazette claimed ‘It is a terrible dream of Eastern lust, a barbaric swirl of music colour, and life'.
Collection
Accession number
S.205-2017

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Record createdAugust 2, 2017
Record URL
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