Pencil on paper drawing by Jacqueline Read-Szymczyk. This was a working document for a painting later sold.
Inspiration being 1911 the photograph of Nijinsky as Petrushka.
17cm x 26cm
Petrushka is a ballet burlesque first performed by Diaghilev's Ballet Russes in Paris 13 June 1911, with Nijinsky as Petrushka. The ballet brings music, dance, and design together in a unified whole. It is one of the most popular of the Ballets Russes productions. It is usually performed today using the original designs and dances. Grace Robert wrote in 1949, "Although more than thirty years have elapsed since Petrushka was first performed, its position as one of the greatest ballets remains unassailed. Its perfect fusion of music, choreography, and décor and its theme—the timeless tragedy of the human spirit—unite to make its appeal universal.
The story: Alexandra Benois and Igor Stravin wrote the story of Petrushka, which tells the story of the loves and jealousies of three puppets. The three are brought to life by The Charlatan during St. Petersburg's 1830 Shrovetide Fair. Petrushka is in love with The Ballerina. She rejects him; she likes The Moor. Petrushka is angry and hurt. He challenges The Moor. The Moor kills him. Petrushka's ghost rises above the puppet theatre as night falls. He shakes his fist at The Charlatan, then collapses in a second death.