Mlle Lefèvre in Orfa (Les Danseuses de l'Opéra No. 14). Lithograph coloured by hand by Alophe, ca. 1860

A dancer stands on her left leg, the foot turned out, with the right foot raised slightly to the back. Her body faces the viewer and her head is turned to look towards her left. Her right arm is bent to the waist and her left arm outstretched and holding out her skirt. On her head is a small round hat with a lozenge pattern around the brim. The round-necked white blouse has full sleeves, with, on the upper arm, bands with a pattern of blue linked lozenges; from waist to bust, with a v at centre front, is a black bodice, above which, over the shoulders, are bands patterned with blue, pale green and gray zig-zags, and across the front a panel of pale brown grey with a lattice and concentric lozenge pattern. The pale blue skirt has three bands of dark blue around the hem and hanging down the front is a white apron with blue and grey patterns of flowers and leaves, with a long knotted fringe at the lower edge.

Given by Dame Marie Rambert

Orfa was a ballet-pantomime, set in Iceland, choreographed by Joseph Mazilier and composed by Aolphe Adam, first performed at the Paris Opera in December 1852. Unusually, it had an Icelandic setting, but was notable for its spectacular scenes rather than any dance quality. Mlle Lefèvre was a minor soloist who probably appeared as a peasant in the first scene, 'a snowy plain near Reykjavic'.
The print is No. 14 in the series Les Danseuses de l'Opera, published ca. 1860. There were 14 in total, all the work of Alophe.

Orfa was had an unusual setting for a ballet, the action taking place in Iceland. Mme Lefèvre is probably wearing her costume as a peasant in the first scene, which takes place on a snowy plain near Reykjavic. The costume does not attempt a realistic reproduction of authentic Icelandic costume. It simply takes what is now the 'standard' ballet dress - pointed, low-necked bodice, or a laced bodice over a small blouse, and knee or calf-length bell-shaped skirt, and adds 'peasant' touches in the decoration and the flowered, fringed apron.
By 1860, photography had become a viable commercial medium, and several of the prints in the series Les Danseuses de l'Opera seem to be copies of photographs. Maybe this was because most photographs were quite small and, of course, sepia toned; translated into lithographs, they could be larger and then hand coloured, making them more suitable for display.

E.5029-1968