Set design for 'Faust'

Details

Alexandre Benois (1870-1960)
Set design for 'Faust'
signed and dated 'Alexandre Benois 1948' (lower left)
pencil, ink and watercolour on paper
12 x 18¼ in. (30.5 x 46.4 cm.)

Provenance

Princess Sophie Troubetzkoy (1900-1982).
By descent to the present owner.

Special notice

Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006 apply to this lot, the buyer agrees to pay us an amount equal to the resale royalty provided for in those Regulations, and we undertake to the buyer to pay such amount to the artist's collection agent. These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Brought to you by

Aleksandra Babenko

ababenko@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2489

Lot Essay

The present work depicts one of Alexandre Benois’ set designs for Charles Gounod’s (1818-1893) Faust, most likely his design for the 1949 La Scala production. The scene is probably the opening of the second act, in which Faust and Mephistopheles arrive at a town fair to find themselves surrounded by a crowd of celebrating townspeople.

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