Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by the Romanticist artist Alfred Edward Chalon. It dates from 8 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This 1845 print depicts Marie Taglioni as the Sylph in the ballet La Sylphide, capturing a moment of her character's aerial movement.
About this work
This print from 1845 shows Marie Taglioni as the Sylph in the ballet *La Sylphide*.
This print from 1845 shows Marie Taglioni as the Sylph in the ballet *La Sylphide*. The image freezes her mid-flight, reaching for a bird’s nest in a tree. Romanticism loved ethereal spirits like the Sylph.
Taglioni’s father choreographed the ballet in 1832. He used pointe work—not just a trick, but a way to look weightless. Here, she balances on a hidden platform painted to look like a tree trunk.
Check out *La Sylphide* next time you’re at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This 1845 print depicts Marie Taglioni as the Sylph in the ballet La Sylphide, capturing a moment of her character's aerial movement.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows Taglioni's character fetching a bird's nest from a tree to please her human lover, exemplifying the ballet's themes of ethereal beauty and romantic love.
Technique & Style
The print showcases Taglioni's use of pointe work, a technique developed to convey weightlessness and delicacy, characteristic of the Romantic era's fascination with supernatural and dreamlike subjects.
History & Provenance
La Sylphide was choreographed by Filippo Taglioni, Marie's father, in 1832, and the print was created thirteen years later, capturing the enduring appeal of the ballet.
Context
The illusion of flight was achieved through a hidden platform disguised as a tree trunk, highlighting the technical innovations used to create the ballet's magical effects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Edward Chalon was a Swiss-born British portraitist. He lived in London where he was noticed by Queen Victoria.
