Poster advertiising Nijinsky with the Ballets Russes, Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris 1913
Poster
1913 (printed)
1913 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This huge French poster, designed by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), advertised the sixth Paris season of Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 19 May - 23 June 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. It shows the Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky (1888-1950) as the spirit of the rose which he danced with Tamara Karsavina in Mikhail Fokine's ballet Le Spectre de la rose.
The young French poet and artist Jean Cocteau was dazzled by the Ballets Russes and its star dancer, Nijinsky, when they appeared in Paris in 1909. Cocteau wrote of Nijinsky's animal grace: with his 'slender young torso contrasting with overdeveloped thighs, he is like some Florentine, vigorous beyond anything human, and feline to a disquieting degree'. For the 1911 Ballets Russes season at Monte Carlo Cocteau designed two posters, the other depicting the ballerina Tamara Karsavina as the young girl in Le Spectre de la rose. The images were then reused for Paris 1913. The 1913 season at the recently opened Theatre des Champs Elysses was the longest given by the company in Paris. It included performances of opera as well as ballet and the controversial premiere of Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring).
The young French poet and artist Jean Cocteau was dazzled by the Ballets Russes and its star dancer, Nijinsky, when they appeared in Paris in 1909. Cocteau wrote of Nijinsky's animal grace: with his 'slender young torso contrasting with overdeveloped thighs, he is like some Florentine, vigorous beyond anything human, and feline to a disquieting degree'. For the 1911 Ballets Russes season at Monte Carlo Cocteau designed two posters, the other depicting the ballerina Tamara Karsavina as the young girl in Le Spectre de la rose. The images were then reused for Paris 1913. The 1913 season at the recently opened Theatre des Champs Elysses was the longest given by the company in Paris. It included performances of opera as well as ballet and the controversial premiere of Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Poster advertiising Nijinsky with the Ballets Russes, Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris 1913 (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour lithograph |
| Brief description | Poster for the Ballets Russes season in 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées incorporating an image by Jean Cocteau of Vaslav Nijinsky in Mikhail Fokine's ballet 'Le Spectre de la Rose', 1911. Printed by Eugène Verneau & Henri Chachoin |
| Physical description | Poster depicts Vaslav Nijinsky in costume which consists of a body suit with pale peach rose chains draped over the upper body and shoulders and a more dense cover of similiar coloured roses over the lower torso. Green leaf-like pieces trail over the thighs. He is wearing a rose-covered cap. He is posed to appear in motion. The background for Nijinsky is solid green with Cocteau's signature on the lower left corner. At the top of the poster is the name of the theatre and director in red. At the bottom of the poster is the name of the ballet company in a pale peach. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Although this poster advertises the 1913 season by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (which was dominated by the première of the hugely controversial Le Sacre du printemps), it actually uses Jean Cocteau’s image of Vaslav Nijinsky in Mikhail Fokine's romantic ballet Le Spectre de la rose. Fokine’s ballet, and the poster’s image, were created two years earlier. (16/08/2016) |
| Credit line | Given by Mademoiselle Lucienne Astruc and Richard Buckle in memory of the collaboration between Diaghilev and Gabriel Astruc. |
| Object history | Given by Mademoiselle Lucienne Astruc and Richard Buckle in memory of the collaboration between Diaghilev and Gabriel Astruc. Lucienne was the daughter of Gabriel. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This huge French poster, designed by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), advertised the sixth Paris season of Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 19 May - 23 June 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. It shows the Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky (1888-1950) as the spirit of the rose which he danced with Tamara Karsavina in Mikhail Fokine's ballet Le Spectre de la rose. The young French poet and artist Jean Cocteau was dazzled by the Ballets Russes and its star dancer, Nijinsky, when they appeared in Paris in 1909. Cocteau wrote of Nijinsky's animal grace: with his 'slender young torso contrasting with overdeveloped thighs, he is like some Florentine, vigorous beyond anything human, and feline to a disquieting degree'. For the 1911 Ballets Russes season at Monte Carlo Cocteau designed two posters, the other depicting the ballerina Tamara Karsavina as the young girl in Le Spectre de la rose. The images were then reused for Paris 1913. The 1913 season at the recently opened Theatre des Champs Elysses was the longest given by the company in Paris. It included performances of opera as well as ballet and the controversial premiere of Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring). |
| Associated object | S.563-1980 (Object) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.562-1980 |
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| Record created | March 4, 2003 |
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