Leon Bakst

A.M. Otthafer, Paris
Galleria del Levante, Milan
Lester Avnet, New York
Museum of Modern Art, New York (on extended loan)
Sale: Sotheby's Parke Bernet, New York, March 18, 1976, lot 2
Wildenstein & Co., New York
Davis & Long Company, New York, 1977
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

New York, Knoedler, Recent Works by Bakst, December 1922, no. 38
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, Pavillon de Marsan, Ballets Russes de Diaghilew 1909 à 1929, April-July 1939, no. 8
Milan, Galleria del Levante, Léon Bakst, 1967, no. 26
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum, Ballet in Beeld Bij Bakst, 1968, no. 13
San Antonio, McNay Art Institute, March-April 1977, no. 13
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1978-1979

L. Thomas, "Bakst: Student of the Archaic," International Studio, LXXVII, March 1923, p. 482
L. Réau et al., Inedited Works of Bakst, 1927, p. 72
M. Batz, "New York Reviews," Art News, LXXVI, April 1977, p. 122
Gellerida del Levante, Léon Bakst, Milan, 1967, no. 26, illustrated
Gemeentemuseum, Ballet in Beeld Bij Bakst, The Hague, 1968, no. 13, illustrated

Watercolor, gouache over pencil heightened with gold and silver on laid paper wrapped around board. The paper is a bit dirty and discolored in line with age. There are some very minor spots of foxing and some small, very minor scratches and stains to the surface. The paper is slightly creased and very minorly torn in each of the four corners where it wraps around the board. In overall fine condition. Held in a gold painted wood frame with plaster molding. Unexamined out of frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present lot is a variation of a costume design Bakst executed in 1909 for Tamara Karsavina as the Oiseau de Feu (Firebird) in an eponymous pas de deux with Vaclav Nijinsky as the Oiseau d'Or (Golden Bird). Firebird was actually the Blue Bird pas de deux from the last act of Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty. It was one of a suite of dances in Le Festin which formed part of the first season of the Ballets Russes in Paris.

In the early 1920s, Bakst made a number of drawings based on earlier favorite or popular costume designs. They are similar to his previous designs, particularly in the stance of the figure, but they are also quite unique. In the present lot, the artist made significant changes in coloring.

We would like to thank Alexander Schouvaloff for providing additional catalogue information.