ALEXANDRE BENOIS (1870-1960) Le Pavillon d' Armide

signed in pencil 'Alexandre Benois' (lower left); dedicated and dated 'A ma chère fille Hélène…. 1944' watercolour, gouache, ink on paper 32.5 x 47.5 cm Provenance: direct descendants of Hélène Clément-Benois Le Pavillon d'Armide' is a ballet with music by Nicolas Tcherepnine and a libretto inspired by Théophile Gautier's Omphale. It premiered on 25 November 1907 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, with sets and costumes by Alexandre Benois and choreography by Michel Fokine. The date 1944 is that of the dedication to Hélène Clément, the youngest daughter of Alexandre Benois. It is very likely that this watercolour dates from 1907-1909.