Artwork
Lindsay Kemp, <i>Between the Acts</i>
Lindsay Kemp, <i>Between the Acts</i> is a paint painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Robert John Swan. It dates from 1962 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This painting shows a bright stage set with a bold red curtain framing a lone dancer in a white leotard.
This painting shows a bright stage set with a bold red curtain framing a lone dancer in a white leotard. The dancer’s pose is sharp and angular, like they’re caught mid-motion. The colors are simple—red, white, and black—but they make everything pop.
Robert John Swan painted this in 1962. It’s from an era when artists mixed dance and visual art more. The dancer’s shadow stretches long across the floor, adding depth.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works from this time.
Overview
Robert John Swan's 1962 painting captures a dancer in a bold, graphic pose within a stage setting.
Subject & Meaning
The dancer, likely Lindsay Kemp, is depicted in a white leotard, frozen mid-motion, with a long shadow adding depth to the composition. The surrounding stage set, complete with a red curtain, suggests a performance context.
Technique & Style
The painting's simple color palette of red, white, and black creates a striking visual effect, emphasizing the dancer's angular pose. The artist's use of bold colors and graphic forms reflects the era's intersection of dance and visual art.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1962, this work is characteristic of a period when artists frequently combined dance and visual art in their practice.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert John Swan painted portraits of real people in mid-20th-century Britain. His brush captured figures like Milton Rosmer in 1938 and Beatrix Fielden-Kaye in 1939, along with Lindsay Kemp in a 1962 portrait titled…
