Set for ‘Coppelia’ by Delibes, Act II
Georg Kirsta
Description
Subject Matter:
Coppelia is a ballet by French composer Leo Delibes. It opened in Paris in May of 1870. It is a comical twist on E.T.A. Hoffman's 1816, "Der Sandmann." This is a drawing for the stage set by Kirsta, a Russian painter and renowned costume and set designer of the 1920s and 1930s. Georg Kirsta worked for European theatres and ballet companies. After the Russian Revolution, Kirsta emigrated to Berlin, Germany and then to Vienna, Austria; in the late 1930s, Kirsta moved to London. Throughout Kirsta's career, he worked for Bronislava Nijinska, Hedy Pfundmayr, Grete Wiesenthal, Hilde Holger and Helene Tels; Kirsta also worked with the Metropolitain Ballet and the London Festival Ballet. In 1951, Kirsta organized a new Original Ballet Russe after the death of his associate, Wassily de Basil—the co-creator of Les Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo with George Balanchine. Kirsta had an integral role in the popularization of ballet across the world.
Physical Description:
This gouache shows a stage set for the ballet "Coppelia." The stage set shows a decrepit room with yellow paint or plaster peeling away to reveal brick beneath, a red curtain draped horizontally across the middle ceiling and down at the right side. A dripping heart hangs from the ceiling. There is a light blue niche on the left, a blue window on the right, and a stairway, deep in the center of the image.
Usage Rights:
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