Costume Design for Captain Faloppa in "The Good-Humored Ladies" (Le Donne de Buon Umore), premiered in Rome, April 12, 1917

Léon Bakst

1917 · Watercolor, graphite, touches of metallic powder paint · Drawings and Prints

Design for the character and costume of 'Captain Faloppa'; one of the male characters in the ballet 'Le Donne de Buon Umore’ (The Good Humored Ladies), based on Carlo Goldoni's opera of 1758. The ballet performance by the Ballet Russe premiered in Rome at the Teatro Costanza on April 12, 1917 with music by Domenico Scarlatti and orchestrated by Vincenzo Tommasini. The choreography was arranged by Léonide Massine, and the scenery and costumes were designed by Léon Bakst. This drawing shows a full-length design with the figure of Faloppa portrayed from the side, wearing a large black hat, a red overcoat and an orange cape and holding a large sword in his right hand. While highly detailed, the drawing is somewhat coarse and may be a workshop copy made by one of Bakst's assistants. It thus froms an illustration of the workshop practice of Bakst and the theater productions of the Ballet Russe. A design for a stage set for this particular production is also part of the Museum's collection.

Artist

Léon Bakst

Date

1917

Medium

Watercolor, graphite, touches of metallic powder paint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 2020