ALEXANDRE BENOIS (1870-1960) Costume design for a Retired Soldier for the ballet 'Petrushka' by Igor Stravinsky at Covent Garden in 1957

signed and dated in pencil 'A Benois 1956' (center left), extensively inscribed in Latin and Cyrillic in pencil watercolour and pencil on paper 30.8 x 21.5 cm executed in 1956 The ballet Petrushka is set against the vivid atmosphere of a pre-Lenten fair (Maslenitsa) in 19th-century St. Petersburg. Stravinsky composed it as his second collaboration with Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, drawing inspiration from traditional street puppets who are magically brought to life by a Magician (Charlatan). The original choreography was by Michel Fokine, with stage designs and costumes by Alexandre Benois, who assisted Stravinsky with the libretto. Premiering in Paris in 1911, Petrushka became one of Alexandre Benois'most significant works. The ballet was frequently re-staged, and between 1911 and 1957, Benois redesigned its sets and costumes for 14 different productions. In later versions, he often inscribed his designs with the names of the dancers who portrayed the principal roles.