Carlotta Grisi,
1844
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1844
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This print shows Carlotta Grisi in a ballet role from 1844. She dances as a fairy called a Péri, a figure from Persian tales who appears to test a man who dreams of her. The print fits the Romantic style, where artists liked exotic, dreamy subjects. The costume mixes ballet with Indian touches. It’s not meant to be accurate—just fancy and far-away-feeling. That was the point in the 1840s: escape the everyday. Look next at the museum: Victoria and Albert Museum.
