{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1115584"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1115584/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EN0075/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EN0075/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EN0075","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EN0073","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EN0071","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EN0070","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1115584/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1115584","accessionNumber":"S.745&B-1980","objectType":"Theatre costume","titles":[{"title":"Costume for a Courtier in <i>Le Chant du rossignol</i>","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"<i>Le Chant du rossignol</i>, to music by Igor Stravinsky, was the first ballet designed by Henri Matisse. It was choreographed by Léonide Massine and first performed on 2 February 1920 at Théâtre National de l’Opéra, Paris. A second version was choreographed by George Balanchine in 1925 at Gaiêté Lyrique, Paris17 July 1925. \r\n\r\n<i>Le Chant du rossignol</i> had a complex history with the Ballets Russe. In 1914, during a season of opera and ballet for Paris and London, Igor Stravinsky’s opera <i>Le Rossignol</i> was performed with parallel sung and danced performances. It was choreographed by Boris Romanov. After the War the Ballets Russes does not appear to have the sets and costumes to designs by Alexandre Benois made for the opera (which probably remained with Thomas Beecham so Henri Matisse was persuaded to design a completely new production, still based on the tale by Hans Christian Andersen for which Diaghilev had arranged with Stravinsky as a one act version for the ballet alone.\r\n\r\nThe ballet was choreographed by Léonide Massine and first performed at Théâtre National de l’Opéra, Paris, on 2 February 1920. It was short-lived receiving only 7 performances in Paris over two seasons and a further two at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London. <i>The Observer</i> felt that Matisse ‘covered himself with glory’ and his costumes were ‘enchantingly lovely; black and white, black and white and blue, soft pinks and yellows and dull plum-colour.’ It has been noted that Matisse, unlike many of the designers of Ballets Russes productions who chose to use colourful exotic pallet, preferred to use light colours against a porcelain-white backcloth. His costumes were largely based on Ming Dynasty court dress and much of the choreography was based around their grouping. The costumes were made in the Paris atelier of Mme Muelle, Matisse was often present overseeing their creation and it is believed that he contributed to the loose painting on the costumes.\r\n\r\nA new version choreographically but re-using score and designs was created by George Balanchine for Gaiêté Lyrique, Paris, 17 July 1925 which only received a handful of performances in Paris, London, Monte Carlo and it received its last performance at State Opera Berlin on 22 June 1929.\r\n\r\nMatisse was on hand supervising the costumes creating a totally different costume for Alicia Markova as the Nightingale than the one created for Tamara Karsavina in 1920.","physicalDescription":"Cream tunic and trousers with painted and embroidered gold and silver detailing. At the centre of the tunic is a gold embroidered dragon. The tunic is also trimmed with black satin. Worn with a cream felt hat with two protruding 'ears', decorated with paint.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Matisse, Henri","id":"A6845"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"satin","id":"AAT132902"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"felt","id":"AAT14107"}],"techniques":[{"text":"sewing","id":"AAT53658"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Costumes","id":"THES269529"},{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2011EN0075","2011EN0073","2011EN0071","2011EN0070"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES344214"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES344214"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES344214"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Theatre costume","id":""}],[{"text":"dance costume","id":"x34504"}],[{"text":"Theatre costume","id":""}],[{"text":"dance costume","id":"x34504"}],[{"text":"Trousers","id":""}],[{"text":"Theatre costume","id":""}],[{"text":"dance costume","id":"x34504"}],[{"text":"Hats","id":"AAT46106"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1920","earliest":"1920-01-01","latest":"1920-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the Friends of the Museum of Performing Arts","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"150","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"footprint","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"50","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"footprint","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Details of display footprint taken from the Exhibitions Department database for the <i>Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes</i> exhibition.","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"One of a group of 7 costumes from <i>Le Chant du rossignol</i> sold by the Diaghilev and de Basil Ballet Foundation at Sotheby's on 17 July 1968. Purchased by Richard Buckle for the Friends of the Museum of Performing Arts for £380. Given to the V&A by the Friends of the Museum of Performing Arts in 1975.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume for a Courtier in Léonide Massine's ballet <i>Le Chant du rossignol,</i> designed by Henri Matisse for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 1920","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[{"text":"Ballets Russes","id":"AUTH322728"}],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.745-1980","S.745A-1980","S.745B-1980"],"accessionNumberNum":"745","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1980,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Theatre costume [1]","Theatre costume [2]","Theatre costume [3]"],"assets":["2019LN9807","2019LN8462","2019LN8266","2019LT6512","2019LU3288","2019LW9393","2019LW3549","2019LV8937"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-09","recordCreationDate":"2009-07-01","availableToBook":false}}