LEV SAMOILOVICH BAKST (1866-1924)

Costume designs for Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien

Details

LEV SAMOILOVICH BAKST (1866-1924)
Costume designs for Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien
signed 'Bakst' (lower right) and inscribed with character titles and 'St Sebastien/I acte' (upper left)
pencil and watercolor, heightened with gold and silver, on paper laid on card
10 5/8 x 15 5/8 in. (27.3 x 40 cm.)

Provenance

Ida Rubenstein, Paris, 1911.
Gilbert Cournand, 1961.
Acquired from the above by the present owner.

Lot Essay

Bakst designed the costumes for the original Paris production of Gabriele d'Annunzio's drama in 1911. Scored by Claude Debussy, and choreographed by Mikhail Fokine, Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien starred the beautiful and exotic Ida Rubenstein in the title role. The first performance at the Théatre du Chatelet lasted five hours - a measure of the virtuosity of the performers and the power of the piece.

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