Vaslav Nijinsky in Scheherazade

Series Title: Studies from the Russian Ballet

1913

Auguste Bert

(French, 1856–before 1945)

Culture

France, 20th century

Medium

Halftone photogravure

Measurements

Image: 19.3 x 13.5 cm (7 5/8 x 5 5/16 in.); Paper: 20.5 x 14.4 cm (8 1/16 x 5 11/16 in.)

Credit Line

Sundry Art - Photography Fund 2019.43

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Nijinsky wore gold body paint and a brightly colored, bejeweled, and embroidered outfit in his role as the Favorite Slave in Scheherazade.

Description

Vaslav Nijinsky (1890–1950) is considered to have been the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. Scheherazade is the story of the favorite wife of a shah who has a dalliance with her favorite slave, the role played by Nijinsky. Auguste Bert was the official photographer of the presidency of the French Republic, the country’s ministries, embassies, and its government-subsidized theaters.