Description
'Ballet Russe (Vaslav Nijinsky) - Theatre de Monte Carlo 1911' a rare poster designed by Jean Cocteau for the first performance, published by Eugene Verneau and Henri Chachoin, Paris, framed signed in the print image 90 x 56.5cm.
Diaghilev arrived at the Monte Carlo Opera House in 1911 as a dancer and immediately began to direct his own productions. He organised a troupe of 80 artists including Nijinsky, Fokine and Lifar, with stage sets by internationally recognised artists including Matisse, Braque and Picasso, he was also able to use Bakst's costume designs and for the first production he used Cocteau to provide the graphic art for his posters. The poster depicts Nijinsky wearing the costume of roses designed by Leon Bakst for Le Spectre de la Rose. Although this production transferred to Paris the poster was reduced in size to fit the smaller billboards.
Literature
Charles Spencer The World of Diaghilev, Elek, page 79 for the image used as a later poster for 1913
