Léon Bakst, Portrait of Serge Diaghilev and His Nanny (1906) Painting Poster
Please note, we also sell a framed version of this poster here on RUS & SOV.
About the Painting
Portrait of Serge Diaghilev and His Nanny (Russian: Портрет С. П. Дягилева с няней) is a 1906 painting by Léon Bakst (Russian: Бакст Л. С.).
Bakst has gone down in history primarily as a theater artist and set designer, but he was also a book illustrator sometime painter. One of his most wonderful works is in front of you right now. This is a portrait of Sergei Diaghilev displays a man who was not a writer, actor, artist, but to whom art still owes him a lot. His taste, organizational flair, and economic genius did much to promote Russian art at home and abroad. He was a talented entrepreneur, one of the founders of the World of Art group, organizer of magnificent presentations of Russian art abroad in the form of Russian Seasons and Diaghilev's Russian Ballet. Recognizing his talents, friends nevertheless called him "a dictator from art" - and this complexity and contradictory character is subtly captured by Bakst.
The multidimensional nature of Diaghilev is conveyed delicately - in half-hints, half-accents. In his posture, calm and impetuosity are combined. Friends noted some lordliness, laziness of his habits, and at the same time he was always in a hurry to get somewhere or someplace. The figure of Diaghilev is as close to us as possible, somewhat cropped and offset from the center - this creates a feeling of movement, change, and at the same time monumentality, majesty. The elegance and sophistication of a well-groomed person contrasts somewhat with the soft, swollen figure of his old nanny, “Arina Rodionovna,” as Diaghilev's friends called her. Her presence is no coincidence - she reveals something childish, sentimental, warm in the character of this St. Petersburg dandy.
Examining the interior of Diaghilev's St. Petersburg apartment, one can make out an easel and paintings on the wall in the back of his illuminated study. This immediately evokes a number of associations - before us is a man in love with art, living by it, but also constantly demonstrating it.
Original Painting
Poster Quality
Museum-quality posters made on thick and durable matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment.
Please note, all poster sizes are in inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm).
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
• Giclée printing quality
• Opacity: 94%
