Cerito (sic) in the Silphide. (sic)
Print
ca. 1845 (printed and published)
ca. 1845 (printed and published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
La Sylphide, danced by Marie Taglioni, was the trend-setter for ballet in the 1830s and 1840s; the sylph, a spirit of the air, was the perfect, ethereal, otherworldly heroine, man's unattainable ideal. Among many ballerinas who later danced the ballet, the vivacious and voluptuous Fanny Cerrito was among the most popular.
Lithography was developed in Germany by Aloys Senefelder in 1798 and became the first mass printing medium. The image was drawn on stone using a special ink or pencil; when the whole stone was inked, the drawn image held the printing ink and multiple prints could be made. Originally the black and white prints were hand coloured, but colour printing, using a different stone for each colour, developed in the 19th century. Lithography was not as labour-intensive as engraving or etching and produced a much softer image. This made it perfect for illustrating the ethereal and essentially feminine ballet of the 1840s - an example of medium and subject in complete harmony.
Lithography was developed in Germany by Aloys Senefelder in 1798 and became the first mass printing medium. The image was drawn on stone using a special ink or pencil; when the whole stone was inked, the drawn image held the printing ink and multiple prints could be made. Originally the black and white prints were hand coloured, but colour printing, using a different stone for each colour, developed in the 19th century. Lithography was not as labour-intensive as engraving or etching and produced a much softer image. This made it perfect for illustrating the ethereal and essentially feminine ballet of the 1840s - an example of medium and subject in complete harmony.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Cerito (sic) in the Silphide. (sic) |
| Materials and techniques | Lithograph coloured by hand |
| Brief description | Fanny Cerrito in La Sylphide. Lithograph coloured by hand by N Currier, ca.1845. |
| Physical description | In a mountain landscape under a full moon, a dancer floats over a lake edged with bushes and bulrushes. Her body is curved as she half-turns, with her head inclined to her left, her left leg to the front and her right foot pointed behind at calf height; her arms are crossed over her breast. At her back are double yellow-edged wings. Her ringletted hair is dressed with flowers and round her neck is a pearl necklace. The blue short-sleeved, scoop-necked bodice is pointed at the lower edge. Around the lower bodice is a bunched 'frill' from which hangs the calf-length diaphanous skirt. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | (Inscribed on reverse with instructions to framer) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Lady Mary Evans |
| Object history | The print shows Fanny Cerrito in the title role of the ballet La Sylphide in a lithograph coloured by hand by the American Nathanial Currier, about 1846. La Sylphide, created by Marie Taglioni in 1832, set the style for ballet in the 1830s and 1840s; the sylph, a spirit of the air, was the perfect, ethereal, otherworldly heroine, man’s unattainable ideal of the Romantic age. Among many ballerinas who later danced the ballet, the vivacious and voluptuous Fanny Cerrito was among the most popular. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | La Sylphide, danced by Marie Taglioni, was the trend-setter for ballet in the 1830s and 1840s; the sylph, a spirit of the air, was the perfect, ethereal, otherworldly heroine, man's unattainable ideal. Among many ballerinas who later danced the ballet, the vivacious and voluptuous Fanny Cerrito was among the most popular. Lithography was developed in Germany by Aloys Senefelder in 1798 and became the first mass printing medium. The image was drawn on stone using a special ink or pencil; when the whole stone was inked, the drawn image held the printing ink and multiple prints could be made. Originally the black and white prints were hand coloured, but colour printing, using a different stone for each colour, developed in the 19th century. Lithography was not as labour-intensive as engraving or etching and produced a much softer image. This made it perfect for illustrating the ethereal and essentially feminine ballet of the 1840s - an example of medium and subject in complete harmony. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2604-1986 |
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 | August 16, 2004 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
