Marie Guy Stephan (facsimile signature)
1842
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1842
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Marie Guy Stephan (facsimile signature) is a 1842 by Jules Bouvier, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a ballet dancer in full costume, one of many prints made in the 1840s that explored dances from “exotic” places. It’s part of a Romantic-era trend where theaters put on “national” ballets from Poland to Spain. The metal bits on the dancer’s heels click when she stamps—part of the Cracovienne, a Polish folk dance turned stage showpiece. Little flowers on the floor are gifts tossed by fans. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
The image depicts a ballet dancer performing a Cracovienne, positioned in front of an archway with a group of dancers visible beyond. She stands on her left foot with her right leg flexed, wearing a white costume adorned with green and white ribbons, a coronet of white roses, and heelless ankle boots with green trim and white heel flashes. Pink roses are scattered on the floor, likely representing floral tributes from admirers. The scene reflects the 1840s trend of incorporating national dances and exotic settings into Romantic ballet performances.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jules Bouvier made 19th-century lithographs that turned leading ballet dancers into star prints.
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