Not currently on display at the V&A

Illustration

1919
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Set in the Caucuses and inspired by Lermontov's poem, Thamar told of a cruel Queen of Georgia who lures travellers to their death. This illustration shows her waiving a 'rose-red' scarf from her turret window to lure passers by who she seduces and then pushes down to the raging gorge below. This illustration shows Thamar seducing a handsome prince by dancing with him

The Ballet Thamar was created for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes with choreography by Mikhail Fokine, music by Mily Balakirev and designs by Léon Bakst and first performed by the Ballets Russes on 20 May 1912 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. It was first performed by the Ballets Russes in London on 12 June 1912 at the Royal Opera House. It was performed at the end of the post War London Coliseum on 13 March 1919 when Lubov Tchernicheva took the title role as the Queen of Georgia and Leonide Massine was the stranger Prince. Tamara Karsavina returned to the title role she had created at the Alhambra Theatre in July 1919.


The illustration was drawn for Impressions of the Russian Ballet Thamar written by Cyril W Beaumont and decorated by Ethelbert White where it appears at the top of page 5.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and black ink on paper
Brief description
Illustration by Ethelbert White showing a scene from the ballet Thamar created for Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russes in which the Queen waves a scarf out of her window
Physical description
Scene showing Queen Thamar reclining on a richly decorated counch waiving her scarf out of the window. She is watched by servants. On the right is a table for goblet and jug below which is the artists initials EW
Dimensions
  • Height of image height: 12.5cm
  • Width of image width: 23.4cm
  • Height of paper height: 17.1cm
  • Width of paper width: 28.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
EW (Artists initials in bottom right-hand corner)
Credit line
Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceThamar by Lermontov
Summary
Set in the Caucuses and inspired by Lermontov's poem, Thamar told of a cruel Queen of Georgia who lures travellers to their death. This illustration shows her waiving a 'rose-red' scarf from her turret window to lure passers by who she seduces and then pushes down to the raging gorge below. This illustration shows Thamar seducing a handsome prince by dancing with him

The Ballet Thamar was created for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes with choreography by Mikhail Fokine, music by Mily Balakirev and designs by Léon Bakst and first performed by the Ballets Russes on 20 May 1912 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. It was first performed by the Ballets Russes in London on 12 June 1912 at the Royal Opera House. It was performed at the end of the post War London Coliseum on 13 March 1919 when Lubov Tchernicheva took the title role as the Queen of Georgia and Leonide Massine was the stranger Prince. Tamara Karsavina returned to the title role she had created at the Alhambra Theatre in July 1919.


The illustration was drawn for Impressions of the Russian Ballet Thamar written by Cyril W Beaumont and decorated by Ethelbert White where it appears at the top of page 5.
Collection
Accession number
S.665-2014

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Record createdApril 2, 2014
Record URL
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