Costume designs for an 'incroyable' and a 'merveilleuse' dancers

Paul Boye-Sørensen

first half 20th century · Pen and black ink, watercolour, black ink framing lines with traces of graphite · Drawings and Prints

Theatrical designs for early 19th century 'incroyable' and 'merveilleuse' dancing costumes. On the left, the male 'incroyable' wears a cropped, black jacket with large, white collar, a checked, red-and-green belt, white scarf tied around the neck, tight-fitting, white knee breeches, white stockings, and black, pointed-toe shoes. On the right, the female 'merveilleuse' wears an off-shoulder, long, off-white dress with short, puff sleeves and Empire waist, made up of a light fabric that reveals the silhouettes of the body, a pearl necklace, and black, pointed-toe shoes. The two are dancing in an interior with a brown lamp with floral decorations above them, and a couple, dressed in similar styles and sitting on a recamier, in the background.

Artist

Paul Boye-Sørensen

Date

first half 20th century

Medium

Pen and black ink, watercolour, black ink framing lines with traces of graphite

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1959