Leonide Massine waiting for his cue to go on stage in 'On With the Dance'
Painting
1925 (made)
1925 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This behind-the-scenes image shows the dancer Massine, waiting to go on stage in Cochran's revue, On With the Dance, at the London Pavillion, 1925. He appears in scene 7 of the revue, an adaptation of Hogarth's series of paintings A Rake's Progress, simply titled The Rake, which he had choreographed
The scene was painted by Gluck (1895-1978), an artist well-known in the 1920s and 30s for portraits and floral paintings. Born Hannah Gluckstein, they chose to be only known as Gluck, distancing themselves from their society family, who were scandalised by Gluck's exclusively male attire and lesbian relationships. Identifying with no artistic school or movement, they exhibited their work only in solo exhibitions, where it was displayed in a special frame that Gluck had invented and patented. The "Gluck frame" extended from the wall in three tiers and was painted or papered to match the wall on which it hung so the paintings became part of the architecture of the room. This painting is in a white-painted Gluck frame which is not visible in the image.
The scene was painted by Gluck (1895-1978), an artist well-known in the 1920s and 30s for portraits and floral paintings. Born Hannah Gluckstein, they chose to be only known as Gluck, distancing themselves from their society family, who were scandalised by Gluck's exclusively male attire and lesbian relationships. Identifying with no artistic school or movement, they exhibited their work only in solo exhibitions, where it was displayed in a special frame that Gluck had invented and patented. The "Gluck frame" extended from the wall in three tiers and was painted or papered to match the wall on which it hung so the paintings became part of the architecture of the room. This painting is in a white-painted Gluck frame which is not visible in the image.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Leonide Massine waiting for his cue to go on stage in 'On With the Dance' (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas, in a wooden frame covered with white paper designed by the artist |
| Brief description | Painting entitled "Leonide Massine waiting for his cue to go on stage in 'On With the Dance'" by Gluck, 1925 |
| Physical description | The painting shows four figures standing backstage in a theatre, behind stage flats, all seen from the back. The dancer, Massine, second from right, is about to make his entrance. He is dressed in 18th-century style costume for his role as the Rake. His hair is tied back and he wears a green jacket, red breeches and white stockings. The other men are stage technicians. The painting is in a 'Gluck Frame', made for the picture by the artist. It is white and consists of three stepped rectangles made of wood and covered with paper. |
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| Gallery label | Leonide Massine Waiting for his Cue to go on Stage in ‘On with the Dance’
1925
The painting shows the dancer Massine about to make his first entrance. This is his last private moment ‘offstage’ before he appears in front of his audience. The cloth-capped stagehand and the framework of the back of the scenery illustrate the world ‘behind the scenes’ that is hidden from the public.
Revue by Noel Coward and Philip Braham, 1925
London Pavilion
Oil on canvas
Painted by Gluck (Hannah Gluckstein) (1895–1978)
Given by British Theatre Museum Association
Museum no. S.83-1986(2008) |
| Credit line | Given by the British Theatre Museum Association |
| Object history | Painting included in and originally sold at Gluck's 1926 exhibition, 'Stage and Country', at the Fine Art Society, London. The exhibition included several paintings of scenes from On With the Dance. Given to the British Theatre Museum Association by Mrs Prince Littler in November 1968. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary reference | 'The Rake's Progress' series of paintings by Hogarth |
| Summary | This behind-the-scenes image shows the dancer Massine, waiting to go on stage in Cochran's revue, On With the Dance, at the London Pavillion, 1925. He appears in scene 7 of the revue, an adaptation of Hogarth's series of paintings A Rake's Progress, simply titled The Rake, which he had choreographed The scene was painted by Gluck (1895-1978), an artist well-known in the 1920s and 30s for portraits and floral paintings. Born Hannah Gluckstein, they chose to be only known as Gluck, distancing themselves from their society family, who were scandalised by Gluck's exclusively male attire and lesbian relationships. Identifying with no artistic school or movement, they exhibited their work only in solo exhibitions, where it was displayed in a special frame that Gluck had invented and patented. The "Gluck frame" extended from the wall in three tiers and was painted or papered to match the wall on which it hung so the paintings became part of the architecture of the room. This painting is in a white-painted Gluck frame which is not visible in the image. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 1968/A/101 - BTMA accession number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.83-1986 |
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| Record created | November 7, 2003 |
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