Artwork
Les Sylphides
Les Sylphides is a print by Ethelbert White. It dates from 1924 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Ethelbert White’s 1920s print captures a moment from the ballet *Les Sylphides*.
Ethelbert White’s 1920s print captures a moment from the ballet *Les Sylphides*. It shows dancers moving through a stage set by A. Socrate. The costumes match designs by Alexandre Benois from 1909.
The print comes from a mid-1920s series by Charles Beaumont. That decade saw a surge in interest in Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Beaumont also made booklets and wooden figurines about these ballets.
This print is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. museum: Victoria and Albert Museum
Overview
Les Sylphides is a 1920s hand-colored print by Ethelbert White, depicting a scene from Mikhail Fokine's ballet of the same name, set to Chopin's music. The work is part of a series produced by Charles Beaumont, capturing moments from the Diaghilev Ballet repertory.
Subject & Meaning
The print portrays a specific moment in Les Sylphides, with dancers in motion against A. Socrate's stage design. Notably, their costumes adhere to Alexandre Benois's 1909 designs, juxtaposing an updated setting with earlier costume elements.
Technique & Style
As a hand-colored print, the piece reflects Beaumont's pursuit of both accuracy and artistic interpretation. The collaboration with select artists, including White, ensured a blend of fidelity to the ballet and individual creative vision.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid-1920s, the print is one of approximately twenty in Beaumont's series, with no precise production records. It is now held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
The print's creation coincided with a heightened interest in Diaghilev's Ballets Russes during the 1920s. Beaumont's broader output, including booklets and plywood figures, further testament to this phenomenon.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ethelbert White was an English artist and wood engraver. He was an early member of the Society of Wood Engravers and a founding member of the English Wood Engraving Society in 1925. He also worked in oils and water…
