Artwork
Marie Guy Stephan (facsimile signature)
Marie Guy Stephan (facsimile signature) is a print by the Romanticist artist Jules Bouvier. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This 1840s print depicts a ballet dancer in full costume, embodying the Romantic-era fascination with national dances from exotic locations.
About this work
Overview
This 1840s print depicts a ballet dancer in full costume, embodying the Romantic-era fascination with national dances from exotic locations.
Subject & Meaning
The dancer is likely Marie Guy-Stéphan, renowned for her Spanish dances in Paris and London, later prima ballerina in Madrid. The scene captures her performing the Cracovienne, a Polish folk dance adapted for the stage, with characteristic metal-trimmed boots and floral tributes from admirers.
Technique & Style
The print features distinctive elements of the Cracovienne: yellow metal trims or spurs on the dancer's boot heels, which produced a chime when clicked, and scattered flowers on the floor, symbolizing audience admiration.
History & Provenance
Created in the 1840s, this print is part of a collection exploring national dances from various countries, reflecting the era's interest in exoticism and cultural representation through ballet.
Context
Part of a broader trend in 19th-century theater, where 'national' ballets set in Poland, Spain, Hungary, and other locales were highly popular, offering balletic interpretations of traditional dances like the mazurka, polka, and polonaise.
Legacy
This print, similar to others of its kind, can be found in institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum, preserving the visual record of Romantic-era ballet's engagement with international folk dances.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jules Bouvier made 19th-century lithographs that turned leading ballet dancers into star prints.
Madlle Flora Fabri,(sic)
Melle Plunkett,
The Favourites of the Ballet.
Ballet Graces
'The Celebrated Spanish Dance.
Mme Rosati,
Mlle Caroline Lassia, dans La Fille de marbre. (sic)
Ballet Graces
MADEMOISELLE TAGLIONI,
The Celebrated Spanish Dance Las Boleras de Cadiz danced by Marie Guy Stephan
Print Collection