Wooden figure showing Vaslav Nijinsky
Figure
ca. 1915 (Made)
ca. 1915 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Narcisse A Mythological poem one act had book, sets and costumes by Léon Bakst; was choreographed by Mikhail Fokine for the Ballets Russes' to an original score by Nicolas Tcherepnin. It was created for the first season by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes at the Théâtre de Monte Carlo and first performed on 29 April 1911.
The plywood figure represents Vaslav Nijinsky in the title role of Mikhail Fokine's ballet "Narcisse", premiered by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes in 1911. It was designed by Adrian Allinson and probably made by the Aldon Studios for the dance historian, bookseller and publisher, Cyril Beaumont, for sale in his shop at 75, Charing Cross Road.
Beaumont had admired Caran d'Ache's satirical wood carvings of political personalities, and, about 1914, he conceived the idea of two-dimensional wooden figures of principal dancers of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. The figures represented the dancers in costume in a typical pose from the chosen work; they were cut out from two-ply wood, hand painted and mounted on detachable stands. Each design was limited to fifty copies, originally hand-coloured by the artist and issued at 7s 6d. They sold steadily. Adrian Allinson designed nineteen figures in all and after the War, Beaumont turned to other artists and commissioned a separate artist to execute the colouring. This figure is possibly one of the original nineteen figures designed by Allinson.
S.973-1982 is not included in The Complete Catalogue of the Publications of C. W. Beaumont, 1928, which lists 49 figures; examples of 30 of these came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest plus 10 not in the 1928 catalogue.
The 1928 catalogue included the following description of the cut-outs (p.25):
"These figures of celebrated dancers of the Diaghileff Ballet have been issued with a view to supply the demand for something between a photograph and a statuette - something that would preserve the memory of a dancer as she appeared in a particular ballet. Each figure is based on drawings made from sittings given by the dancer herself, and from sketches made during an actual performance. The designs are by the following artists: Adrian Allinson, Eileen Mayo, Vera Willoughby, also working under the name of Vera Petrovna, Randolph Schwabe and Ethelbert White. The figures, which are of wood, average 8 3/4 inches high, and are hand-coloured with special care to ensure accuracy of costume. The black stands on whcih the figures are mounted are easily removable to afford facility in packing. The figures are priced at 7s. 6d. net."
The plywood figure represents Vaslav Nijinsky in the title role of Mikhail Fokine's ballet "Narcisse", premiered by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes in 1911. It was designed by Adrian Allinson and probably made by the Aldon Studios for the dance historian, bookseller and publisher, Cyril Beaumont, for sale in his shop at 75, Charing Cross Road.
Beaumont had admired Caran d'Ache's satirical wood carvings of political personalities, and, about 1914, he conceived the idea of two-dimensional wooden figures of principal dancers of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. The figures represented the dancers in costume in a typical pose from the chosen work; they were cut out from two-ply wood, hand painted and mounted on detachable stands. Each design was limited to fifty copies, originally hand-coloured by the artist and issued at 7s 6d. They sold steadily. Adrian Allinson designed nineteen figures in all and after the War, Beaumont turned to other artists and commissioned a separate artist to execute the colouring. This figure is possibly one of the original nineteen figures designed by Allinson.
S.973-1982 is not included in The Complete Catalogue of the Publications of C. W. Beaumont, 1928, which lists 49 figures; examples of 30 of these came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest plus 10 not in the 1928 catalogue.
The 1928 catalogue included the following description of the cut-outs (p.25):
"These figures of celebrated dancers of the Diaghileff Ballet have been issued with a view to supply the demand for something between a photograph and a statuette - something that would preserve the memory of a dancer as she appeared in a particular ballet. Each figure is based on drawings made from sittings given by the dancer herself, and from sketches made during an actual performance. The designs are by the following artists: Adrian Allinson, Eileen Mayo, Vera Willoughby, also working under the name of Vera Petrovna, Randolph Schwabe and Ethelbert White. The figures, which are of wood, average 8 3/4 inches high, and are hand-coloured with special care to ensure accuracy of costume. The black stands on whcih the figures are mounted are easily removable to afford facility in packing. The figures are priced at 7s. 6d. net."
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Wooden figure showing Vaslav Nijinsky (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plywood and gouache |
| Brief description | Plywood figure by Adrian Allinson representing Vaslav Nijinsky in the title role of Mikhail Fokine's ballet Narcisse, issued by C W Beaumont, 1915. Wood and gouache. |
| Physical description | Full length two-dimensional cut-out male figure, the body stained brown with painted features facing right, standing on tip toe, the arms bent with upturned hands, and head thrown back, wearing an off white one-shouldered chiton and high sandals with straps up front leg. The long brown hair is bound with a narrow headband. The painting continues around the sides and the reverse is unpainted. Inscribed on reverse "Narcisse" (in pencil) and "A. P. Allinson / fecit / No 13" in ink. The feet stand on a wooden support to fit into the base. Wood and gouache. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Limited edition |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Narcisse A Mythological poem one act had book, sets and costumes by Léon Bakst; was choreographed by Mikhail Fokine for the Ballets Russes' to an original score by Nicolas Tcherepnin. It was created for the first season by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes at the Théâtre de Monte Carlo and first performed on 29 April 1911. The plywood figure represents Vaslav Nijinsky in the title role of Mikhail Fokine's ballet "Narcisse", premiered by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes in 1911. It was designed by Adrian Allinson and probably made by the Aldon Studios for the dance historian, bookseller and publisher, Cyril Beaumont, for sale in his shop at 75, Charing Cross Road. Beaumont had admired Caran d'Ache's satirical wood carvings of political personalities, and, about 1914, he conceived the idea of two-dimensional wooden figures of principal dancers of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. The figures represented the dancers in costume in a typical pose from the chosen work; they were cut out from two-ply wood, hand painted and mounted on detachable stands. Each design was limited to fifty copies, originally hand-coloured by the artist and issued at 7s 6d. They sold steadily. Adrian Allinson designed nineteen figures in all and after the War, Beaumont turned to other artists and commissioned a separate artist to execute the colouring. This figure is possibly one of the original nineteen figures designed by Allinson. S.973-1982 is not included in The Complete Catalogue of the Publications of C. W. Beaumont, 1928, which lists 49 figures; examples of 30 of these came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest plus 10 not in the 1928 catalogue. The 1928 catalogue included the following description of the cut-outs (p.25): "These figures of celebrated dancers of the Diaghileff Ballet have been issued with a view to supply the demand for something between a photograph and a statuette - something that would preserve the memory of a dancer as she appeared in a particular ballet. Each figure is based on drawings made from sittings given by the dancer herself, and from sketches made during an actual performance. The designs are by the following artists: Adrian Allinson, Eileen Mayo, Vera Willoughby, also working under the name of Vera Petrovna, Randolph Schwabe and Ethelbert White. The figures, which are of wood, average 8 3/4 inches high, and are hand-coloured with special care to ensure accuracy of costume. The black stands on whcih the figures are mounted are easily removable to afford facility in packing. The figures are priced at 7s. 6d. net." |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.973-1982 |
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| Record created | November 1, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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