Bakst

As it must to all men, Death came to Leon Bakst, famed Russian: stage-designer, painter. He died, after a long illness, in Paris where he had spent the last 18 years of his life. While adept in formal painting, he won his greatest fame with his scenic and costume designs for many brilliant ballets produced in France, Russia, England, the U.S.

"Life," said Leon Bakst, "is long, and Art is play. Painting can be good only when it has been great fun in the doing."

Music inspired him, Art fostered him. Born of Jewish parents in St. Petersburg (now Leningrad), he claimed direct descent from King David, sweet singer of Israel. This regal lineage bred in him a scorn of Kings. The Tsar of all the Russias made him court painter. One day he painted a picture of the Crucifixion--Holy Mary, in peasant costume, her face twisted with anguish, weeping over the naked body of her peasant son. The authorities condemned the painting. Should peasants mourn their woes where privilege looked on? They displayed it in public with brands of white chalk smeared over its surface. Furious, Painter Bakst renounced the Court, left Russia with his wife, who had been Mlle. Tretiakov, daughter of a former Mayor of Moscow.

Two years ago, he paid a visit to the U. S., delivered some lectures on "Form and Color in Art," "The Art of Costume," in which he denounced timorous pastel shades in dress, advocated the bravery of barbaric Russian colors. Everywhere society feted him. One dowager invited him to her parlor, which she had adorned for the occassion in crimson and gold. She herself was accoutred in emerald and azure; her children in clothes copied from Russian ballets. "How do you like this?" she asked. "Dear madame," he replied, "do you see me calling on you in golden trousers, red waistcoat and green coat?"

Bakst liked the costumes of the American Indians. Striking color values he saw in them, grand material for a U.S. ballet. He confided his ambition to design such a ballet to Morris Gest, producer; also discussed plans by which he was to design scenery and costumes for a new play by D'Annunzio, Italian poet, starring Ida Rubenstein, famed dancer, staged by Max Reinhardt, produced by Gest. "Those five names are five aces," said Mr. Bakst, "better than any poker hand." Bakst's most renowned sets were those he designed for the Chauve Souris, Boris Godunov, L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune, Salome, Orientale (Pavlowa ballet), Cleopatra and Scheherezade.