Feia Kukol. [La fée des poupées].

£2,950 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

Bakst's masterpiece, according to fellow artist and art historian Alexandre Benois. During the first half of his career, Bakst (1866-1924) mostly painted landscapes, scenes and portraits. However in 1899, when he co-founded, with Serge Diaghilev, the art group Mir Isskustva [The World of Art], he turned towards the performing arts. This was to culminate in his designs for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The present work is a fine example of one of Bakst's early theatrical designs (1903), for the short ballet Feya kukol by Joseph Bayer, pre-dating his work for the Ballets Russes. Complete set of twelve postcards (14.3 x 9.1 cm) printed in colours after designs by Bakst, most heightened with gilt, [4]pp. list of postcards in Russian and French, cards 1, 6, 11 and 12 lighter, the others more brown, as usual, with the original printed envelope also designed by Bakst.

• Binding: Hardcover

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