Tiny black paper silhouette mounted on Japanese tissue showing Alexandra Danilova in the splits on the floor with Massine behind her gesturing with raised hands, a pose from the Can-can in Massine’s ballet Le Boutique fantasque. The figures are mounted on Japanese tissue and it is signed in pencil LR and the words MASSINE.DANILOVA – BOUTIQUE FANTASQUE written in pencil on the base. The tissue is mounted on paper which in turn is mounted on a square of mustard-brown card. There is a pinhole at the top centre of the mount.

La Boutique fantasque was one of the most popular ballets choreographed by Léonide Massine for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes for the Alhambra Theatre, London. It was inspired by the popular Viennese ballet Puppenfée in which the toys in a shop come to life. The Can-can dancers replace the Fairy Doll as the stars of the show dancing a show-stopping Can-can before eloping to prevent their separation when purchased by different families. Massine had created the role of the male danseur while Alexandra Danilova became one of the most famous interpreters of the female can-can dancer. The ballet was performed to an arrangement of music by Gioachino Rossini arranged by Ottorino Respighi; the designs were by Andre Derain.

The silhouette conveys the exuberance of the Can-can which was the highlight of the ballet. Originally created for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1919 La Boutique fantasque was first performed by the De Basil’s Ballets Russes at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden on 16 July 1934.

Lotte Reiniger (1899-1981) created silhouettes of De Basil’s Ballets Russes for illustrations in periodicals and as souveniers sold through the book dealer Ifan Kyrle Fletcher. They came in a folder marked Boutique Fantasque and stating 2 Danilova 2gns each; 1 Danilova and Massine 2gns, 3 Danilova & Massine 3 gns each.