ALEXANDRE BENOIS (1870-1960) Costume design for a Council in L'Impératrice aux Rochers. Un miracle de Notre-Dame (1927)

Lotto 24

1 5002 500

signed with a monogram and dated ‘AB 1927’ (lower left), inscribed with red crayon ‘Conseil’ (upper left), extensively inscribed in pencil watercolour and pencil on paper circa 30.2 X 24 cm executed in 1927 The premiere of Honegger’s L'Impératrice aux Rochers, originally scheduled for December 1925, was delayed until 17 February 1927 due to the immense scale of the production, which resembled a fashion show designed to highlight Ida Rubinstein. Rubinstein not only starred in the performance but also invested over a million francs, funded by her lover Bryan Walter Guinness, to create the extravagant spectacle. She enlisted designer Alexandre Benois after Alexandre Golovine was unavailable. Despite the lavish sets, costumes, and extensive resources, the drama proved far too long. The performance lasted five hours, with frequent set changes that only prolonged it further. Opera subscribers, who entered the theatre at 7:45 pm, did not leave until 4 am.

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