Artwork
Print 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
Overview
Cimarosiana is a print depicting a divertissement ballet of the same name, originally the final scene of Domenico Cimarosa's opera Le Astuzie Femminili. It was the last in a series of souvenir prints commissioned by Cyril Beaumont for the Ballets Russes.
Subject & Meaning
The ballet, renamed Ballet de l’Astuce Féminine when performed independently, featured choreography by Léonide Massine and later additions by Bronislava Nijinska. Its title honors composer Domenico Cimarosa.
Technique & Style
The print, by Ethelbert White, captures José Maria Sert's set design: a moonlit Roman panorama with statues, balustrades, and distant architecture in yellowish-green hues and velvety shadows.
History & Provenance
First performed by Ballets Russes in Paris (1920) and later in Monte Carlo (1924), it remained in repertoire until 1929. This print was the final commission in Beaumont's Ballets Russes series.
Context
Part of a broader series of souvenir prints, it reflects the collaborative artistic spirit of the Ballets Russes, combining music, dance, and visual arts.
Legacy
The print, with a coloured version also documented (S.493-2000), preserves the visual essence of a transient theatrical production, contributing to the historical record of early 20th-century ballet.
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…
