Artwork
Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides is a print by Eileen Mayo. It dates from 1924 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
The print shows a scene from the ballet Les Sylphides.
The ballet was first seen in London in 1918 with a new setting.
This setting was different from the original one designed in 1909.
The print was made during a time when people were getting more interested in the Diaghilev Ballet.
You can learn more about this kind of art at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
Les Sylphides is a print created by Eileen Mayo, depicting a scene from Mikhail Fokine's ballet of the same name, set to music by Chopin. The work captures a moment from the 1918 London production, which featured a new setting designed by A. Socrate.
Subject & Meaning
The print focuses on a specific instant from Les Sylphides, a ballet known for its dreamy, ethereal quality. Mayo's interpretation conveys the ballet's emphasis on lyrical movement and poetic atmosphere, reflecting the choreographer's intent to evoke a sense of weightlessness and fantasy.
Technique & Style
As a hand-colored print, Les Sylphides showcases Mayo's ability to balance detailed representation with expressive interpretation. The technique allowed for a blend of accuracy in capturing the ballet's poses and an artistic rendering of its aesthetic, characteristic of the series' goal to merge precision with creative vision.
History & Provenance
Commissioned by Beaumont, this print is notable as one of two created for Les Sylphides, replacing an earlier version by Ethelbert White. It was part of Beaumont's series of hand-colored prints highlighting key moments from the Diaghilev Ballet repertoire, produced in the mid-1920s amidst a growing public interest in the company.
Context
Les Sylphides was created during a surge in popularity of the Diaghilev Ballet in the mid-1920s. Beaumont's project, including this print, reflects this trend, alongside his other works such as the Impressions of the Russian Ballet series and plywood figures of Ballets Russes dancers.
Artist & collection
Artist
Eileen Mayo made prints in the 1920s, mostly small black-and-white works that feel sharp and spare at a glance.
