Petrushka
Drawing
1912 (hand drawn)
1912 (hand drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Original drawing by Valentine Gross in 1912 on tracing paper of three Nursemaids circling round behind a bearded Coachman who is performing 'cobblers' in the fourth scene of Mikhail Fokine's ballet Petrushka, Diaghlev Ballets Russes.
Diaghilev Ballets Russes Petrushka (also transliterated Petrouchka) was first premiered in Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet on 13 June 1911, according to Diaghilev and The Golden Age of The Ballets Russes 1909 - 1929, edited by Jane Pritchard, first published by V&A Publishing in 2010. This production is set in the carnival atmosphere of a pre-Lenten fair in 19th century St. Petersburg. Valentine Gross woodcut-style drawings of nursemaids dancing with coachmen or grooms at the fair were worked up for use in souvenir programmes and publications.
The sketches are part of the Valentine Gross Archive (THM/165), held by the V&A Department of Theatre and Performance. Valentine Gross Archive contains research material and artwork, including sketches, studies, drawings, pastels and illustrations. Only the artwork materials have been catalogued with museum numbers and given item level descriptions found in the Search the Collections webpage.
Valentine Gross, a.k.a. Valentine Hugo, was a French art student in Paris in the 1910s. She became a ballet enthusiast, illustrator, researcher and painter. Valentine Gross witnessed annual seasons of Diaghilev Ballets Russes in Paris and made preminary sketches during performances and rehearsals between 1909 and 1919. She later worked them up into pencil or coloured drawings of various degrees of finish including illustrations and paintings.
Some of the sketches feature in the book Nijinsky on Stage by Richard Buckle, published in London by Studio Vista in 1971.
Diaghilev Ballets Russes Petrushka (also transliterated Petrouchka) was first premiered in Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet on 13 June 1911, according to Diaghilev and The Golden Age of The Ballets Russes 1909 - 1929, edited by Jane Pritchard, first published by V&A Publishing in 2010. This production is set in the carnival atmosphere of a pre-Lenten fair in 19th century St. Petersburg. Valentine Gross woodcut-style drawings of nursemaids dancing with coachmen or grooms at the fair were worked up for use in souvenir programmes and publications.
The sketches are part of the Valentine Gross Archive (THM/165), held by the V&A Department of Theatre and Performance. Valentine Gross Archive contains research material and artwork, including sketches, studies, drawings, pastels and illustrations. Only the artwork materials have been catalogued with museum numbers and given item level descriptions found in the Search the Collections webpage.
Valentine Gross, a.k.a. Valentine Hugo, was a French art student in Paris in the 1910s. She became a ballet enthusiast, illustrator, researcher and painter. Valentine Gross witnessed annual seasons of Diaghilev Ballets Russes in Paris and made preminary sketches during performances and rehearsals between 1909 and 1919. She later worked them up into pencil or coloured drawings of various degrees of finish including illustrations and paintings.
Some of the sketches feature in the book Nijinsky on Stage by Richard Buckle, published in London by Studio Vista in 1971.
Object details
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| Object type | |
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| Materials and techniques | Red and black ink and white gouache on tracing paper |
| Brief description | Original drawing by Valentine Gross in 1912 on tracing paper of three Nursemaids circling round behind a bearded Coachman who is performing 'cobblers' in the fourth scene of Mikhail Fokine's ballet Petrushka, Diaghlev Ballets Russes |
| Physical description | Drawing in black, red and white enclosed in a black rectangular frame. The image shows three Nursemaids in the ballet Petrouchka, dancing with their hands held in a circle, their plaits flying out. They wear full skirts, aprons, jackets and necklaces, and kokoshniks on their heads. In front is a bearded coachman in a long coat trimmed with tassels and tied with a belt. He wears full breeches and boots. His right arm is extended to the side and his left held on his waist. He is squatting on the left leg, the right extended out to the side, performing the folk dance referred to as 'cobblers'. Beneath the image it reads VG PETROUCHKA 1912. The image of the coachman is also drawn on the verso. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'VG PETROUCHKA 1912' (Initials of artist V[alentine] G[ross], the title of the ballet portrayed, and date of art work included in a box below the image as integral to the art work) |
| Credit line | Given by Jean Hugo |
| Summary | Original drawing by Valentine Gross in 1912 on tracing paper of three Nursemaids circling round behind a bearded Coachman who is performing 'cobblers' in the fourth scene of Mikhail Fokine's ballet Petrushka, Diaghlev Ballets Russes. Diaghilev Ballets Russes Petrushka (also transliterated Petrouchka) was first premiered in Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet on 13 June 1911, according to Diaghilev and The Golden Age of The Ballets Russes 1909 - 1929, edited by Jane Pritchard, first published by V&A Publishing in 2010. This production is set in the carnival atmosphere of a pre-Lenten fair in 19th century St. Petersburg. Valentine Gross woodcut-style drawings of nursemaids dancing with coachmen or grooms at the fair were worked up for use in souvenir programmes and publications. The sketches are part of the Valentine Gross Archive (THM/165), held by the V&A Department of Theatre and Performance. Valentine Gross Archive contains research material and artwork, including sketches, studies, drawings, pastels and illustrations. Only the artwork materials have been catalogued with museum numbers and given item level descriptions found in the Search the Collections webpage. Valentine Gross, a.k.a. Valentine Hugo, was a French art student in Paris in the 1910s. She became a ballet enthusiast, illustrator, researcher and painter. Valentine Gross witnessed annual seasons of Diaghilev Ballets Russes in Paris and made preminary sketches during performances and rehearsals between 1909 and 1919. She later worked them up into pencil or coloured drawings of various degrees of finish including illustrations and paintings. Some of the sketches feature in the book Nijinsky on Stage by Richard Buckle, published in London by Studio Vista in 1971. |
| Associated object | THM/165 (Archive record) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2310-2009 |
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| Record created | July 29, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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