Lot Essay
This work represents one of Alexandre Benois' costume designs for a young male dancer in Les Enchantements d'Alcine, a romantic fairy-tale based on Lodovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. This complex and exotic tale of a love quadrangle gave Benois the possibility to unleash his creative imagination. The premiere of the ballet at the Paris Opera in 1929 was a resounding success. Critics expressed their admiration for Ida Rubinstein in the role of Alcine, the Rose Fairy, and for Alexandre Benois' lavish costumes and set décor.