Scheherazade (Scene from the Russian Ballet). Print by W.S. Lakeman, published by C. W. Beaumont & Co, London, 1920s.

In a room with boldly decorated swagged curtains to left, and a balustrade glimpsed through an arch at extreme right, a male figure lies dead beside a pile of floor cushions with geometric designs. Standing to the right, a woman and a man wearing Asian-inspired costume, she with her right arm extended towards the man, whose back is turned on her, while the left plunges a dagger into her breast. Titled beneath the image: "Scheherazade. (Scene from the Russian Ballet). Drawn by W. S. Lakeman. Copyright, C. W. Beaumont & Co. London."

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

The print was commissioned by Cyril Beaumont for reproduction and sale in his shop.
The print came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.

Historical significance: The print is a testimony to the enduring popularity of Mikhail Fokine's ballet Scheherazade, which created a sensation when it was given by the Russian dancers organised by Serge Diaghilev in Paris in 1910. The designs are clearly 'after' Bakst, whose designs with their bold colours,use of complementary colours and decorative motifs, created as much a sensation as the subject-matter and choreography. There were innumerable prints 'after' Scheherazade and this in black and white hints at Bakst's own debt to Beardsley in his graphic style and erotic overtones.

S.347-2001