Poster advertising the Ballets Russes, Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris, 1913
Poster
1913 (printed)
1913 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This huge poster, used to advertise the sixth Paris season of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in May and June 1913, is one of a pair originally designed in 1911. It depicts the ravishing ballerina Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978) as the Young Girl in Fokine's one-act ballet Le Spectre de la rose who returns from a ball holding a rose given to her by a young man. When she falls asleep the Spirit of the Rose fills her dreams and she imagines herself dancing with this mysterious spectre.
The ballet was first performed at the Théâtre de Monte Carlo in 1911 and brought to Paris later that year. Gabriel Astruc, Diaghilev's sponsor in Paris, wanted Leon Bakst to design the poster but Bakst declined and recommended instead the 22-year-old Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), who designed two posters. The companion poster showed Vaslav Nijinsky (1888-1950) in his rose-petal costume as the Spirit of the Rose. Cocteau was besotted with Nijinsky and the Ballets Russes from the first time he saw them perform in Paris in 1909 and also collaborated with the company by writing the libretto for the exotic ballet Le Dieu Bleu, 1912.
The ballet was first performed at the Théâtre de Monte Carlo in 1911 and brought to Paris later that year. Gabriel Astruc, Diaghilev's sponsor in Paris, wanted Leon Bakst to design the poster but Bakst declined and recommended instead the 22-year-old Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), who designed two posters. The companion poster showed Vaslav Nijinsky (1888-1950) in his rose-petal costume as the Spirit of the Rose. Cocteau was besotted with Nijinsky and the Ballets Russes from the first time he saw them perform in Paris in 1909 and also collaborated with the company by writing the libretto for the exotic ballet Le Dieu Bleu, 1912.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Poster advertising the Ballets Russes, Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris, 1913 (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printing ink on paper |
| Brief description | Poster showing Tamara Karsarvina as the Young Girl in Le Spectre de la rose. Lithograph designed by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) for the sixth Paris season of the Ballets Russes, Théâtre des Champs Élysées, May and June 1913. Printed by Eugene Verneau & Henri Chachoin, Paris |
| Physical description | Lithographic poster showing Tamara Karsavina in her costume as the Young Girl in Fokine's ballet Le Spectre de la rose, standing on pointe, her hands crossed in front of her, her eyes closed, facing to the left side of the image. Above is printed the name of the theatre and the theatre manager, and, below the image, the dates of the performance and the name of the company. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Gallery rotation, 2020
POSTER FOR SERGE DIAGHILEV’S BALLETS RUSSES
1913
This is one of two posters for the Ballets Russes’s first season at the newly-built Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris. The season included the premiere of the ground-breaking Le Sacre du printemps but the posters used Jean Cocteau’s images of Le Spectre de la rose, an iconic ballet for the company. Cocteau’s drawing of the character of the Young Girl, danced by Tamara Karsavina, has facial features similar to his own.
Designed by Jean Cocteau
Printing ink on paper
Given by Mlle Lucienne Astruc and Richard Buckle in memory of the
collaboration between Diaghilev and Gabriel Astruc
Museum no. S.563-1980
(2020) |
| Credit line | Given by Mademoiselle Lucienne Astruc and Richard Buckle in memory of the collaboration between Diaghilev and Gabriel Astruc |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This huge poster, used to advertise the sixth Paris season of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in May and June 1913, is one of a pair originally designed in 1911. It depicts the ravishing ballerina Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978) as the Young Girl in Fokine's one-act ballet Le Spectre de la rose who returns from a ball holding a rose given to her by a young man. When she falls asleep the Spirit of the Rose fills her dreams and she imagines herself dancing with this mysterious spectre. The ballet was first performed at the Théâtre de Monte Carlo in 1911 and brought to Paris later that year. Gabriel Astruc, Diaghilev's sponsor in Paris, wanted Leon Bakst to design the poster but Bakst declined and recommended instead the 22-year-old Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), who designed two posters. The companion poster showed Vaslav Nijinsky (1888-1950) in his rose-petal costume as the Spirit of the Rose. Cocteau was besotted with Nijinsky and the Ballets Russes from the first time he saw them perform in Paris in 1909 and also collaborated with the company by writing the libretto for the exotic ballet Le Dieu Bleu, 1912. |
| Associated object | S.562-1980 (Object) |
| Bibliographic reference | Images of Show Business from the Theatre Museum, V&A Edited by James Fowler Published by Methuen 1982 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.563-1980 |
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| Record created | May 11, 2005 |
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