Danish toy theatre sheet of fourteen characters from August Bournonville's ballet "Et Folkesagn", 1854. Colour lithograph published Alfred Jacobsens Danske Teaterdekorationer Nr 230, colour lithograph, late 19th century.

Toy theatre sheet headed "Et Folkesagn" representing fourteen characters - Fru. Kirstine, Diderik, Muri, Viderik, Herr Modens, Junker Ove, Hilda, Kintekongen, Kathrine, Froken Birthe, Junker Ove i Hojtidsdragt, Kathrine with the baby, Diderick and Viderick with Barnet and Hilda i Hojtidsdragt. The characters wear medieval/Tudor style costumes in muted tones of brown, red, green and yellow with Hilda I Hojtidsdragt in blue and white and Muri in a yellow and red dress, the yellow serrated overskirt with a red swirl pattern and the red underskirt decorated with a row of green frogs.

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

The print was probably sent to Beaumont by Allan Fridericia, the Danish dance critic and designer, with whom Beaumont corresponded on a regular basis.
The print came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.

Historical significance: An example of a Danish toy theatre sheet from the late 19th century.
A Folk Tale a ballet in 3 acts and 14 scenes, choreography August Bournonville, Music Gade and JPE Hartmann, produced 1854 by the Royal Danish Ballet. Set in early 16th century Jutland, the story centred on Hilda, who lives in the mountain with the witch Muri and her trolls.
As the story was devised by Bournonville from Thiele's Popular Legends, the figures on the sheet represent characters in the ballet and are a testimony to the popular success of the work. Bournonville regarded the ballet as his most successful work, because of its Danish atmosphere and the mix of humour and seriousness and range of dances. Both the ballet and the music were still popular a hundred years later.

S.352-2001