My interest/obsession with Leon Bakst and his work with the Ballet Russe began with Scheherazade (by Rimsky Korsakov). I am in love with this piece of music. The story is about Queen Scheherazade who is married to a King who kills his virgin brides the night after the wedding (RUDE!). But Queenie is far from a basic bitch and buys time by telling exotic, drawn out tales to the King in order to stay alive.
I then started image binging on his illustrations of costume and set design. He seems like such an interesting artist, who lived in a beautiful, fantasy world. He was also friends with Marchesa Luisa Casati and designed many crazy costumes for that bad ass bitch.
Queen of the Night
Marchesa Luisa Casati in Queen of the Night costume
Faun 1912
1914
La Sultane Bleue, Scheherazade, 1910
Shah Zeman from ‘Shéhérazade’
Why did it take me so long to discover this magical designer??!
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