Jacques Emile Blanche: Tamara Karsavina, of the Ballets Russes (1928)

JACQUES ÉMILE BLANCHE (FRENCH, 1861-1942), Tamara Karsavina, ballet dancer of the Ballets Russes, signed and titled ‘La Karsavina J.E. Blanche’ (lower right) and signed again ‘J.E. Blanche’ (upper right), oil on canvas 397⁄8 x 30 in. (101 x 76 cm.), Painted in 1928, Image Source: Christie’s

“In her autobiography, Theatre Street, Tamara Karsavina recalls sitting for Jacques-Emile Blanche in 1911: “That summer I sat to Jacques Blanche for my portrait. A quieter refuge from the feverish pulsation of Parisian life could not have been found than his large studio at Passy. The same restfulness emanated from the artist himself. There was before me yet another aspect of French mind. In his mouth the un- avoidable personal remarks of artist to model had the flavour of dispassionate observation. His sense of the picturesque he said was curiously amused by the slender structure of my facial bones and the unexpected vigour of my neck. To bring out this peculiarity he had long studied me, finally deciding on the turn of the head, which seems to give me something imperative to the pose of Firebird which he had chosen”. (Tamara Karsavina, Theatre Street, London, 1930, p. 294).”
READ FULL ESSAY: Christie’s

This is footage of legendary Diaghilev Era Ballets Russes ballerina Tamara Karsavina practising at home, and then in class in 1924.

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Jacques Emile Blanche at Christie’s

Jacques Emile Blanche at wikiwand

Thanks for Visiting 🙂

~Sunnyside

6 Comments Add yours

Sheila Landry Designs says:

October 20, 2023 at 6:30 am

This was very interesting to see. I couldn’t help but notice the black cat with her. That made me like her more. 🙂 Thanks for the interesting film and beautiful painting. Have a great day!

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Giadreams (themoviemylife.com) says:

October 20, 2023 at 9:24 am

Love her expression. 😍

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christinenovalarue says:

October 20, 2023 at 10:40 am

🩵💙🩵

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Ana Daksina says:

October 20, 2023 at 1:49 pm

For an account of my wonderful evening with the Bolshoi ~ and the amazing day which preceded it ~ ask my search bar for “A Wonder to Recall.” 🙋✨

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Yvonne Beumkes says:

October 21, 2023 at 8:40 am

Thank you for presenting this absolutely wonderful portrait of Tamara Karsavina. Karsavina, according to all I have read about her, was a magnificent ballerina. Apart from dancing in the Ballets Russes, she was a founding member of, what later would be called, The Royal Academy of Dance. She was an inspiration to many dancers and teachers worldwide;a magnificent dancer and an astonishing teacher. Please allow me to add that Jacques Emile Blanche also painted her dancing the Firebird.

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