{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1407880"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1407880/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JY4370/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JY4370/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JY4370","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":true}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1407880","accessionNumber":"S.331-2017","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"La Tragédie de Salomé","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Photograph of dancer Anatole Bourman (1888 - 1962) in <i>La Tragédie de Salomé</i>, performed by Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 1913. The ballet was choreographed by Boris Romanov to music by Florent Schmitt, with set and costumes designed by Serge Sudeikin. The score had been written for Loie Fuller. The photograph is taken in the dressing room of the Theatre des Champs-Elysses in 1913 at the time of the ballet's premiere.\n\r\nA E. Johnson writing in 1913 complained that  <i>La Tragédie de Salome</i> ‘is nothing but an aping of Beardsley, a reproduction (or shall one say, a travesty) of certain superficial aspects of that artist’s designs, entirely uninspired by any sympathy with, or apparently even understanding of, the peculiar genius of which they were expressions.’ He went on to describe the costumes worn by the eight slaves; ‘Their woolly pates are white, white ostrich plumes are girt about their middles, and round their ankles clasp what look suspiciously like white spats. The limelight streaming on their naked bodies imparts a greenish tinge to the brown flesh, and gives them quite as nasty an appearance as one supposes their designers intend.\r\nTo strident music which one feels sure must be expressive of hectic passion and horror, the green and white Negroes posture and run about the stage. Their antics are engaging, and expressive of lust what the spectator chooses to think.’\r\nThe 'Negroes' were danced by Kremnev, Goudin, Gavrilov, Ivanovsky, Bouman, Voronzov, Savitsky, Zverev who had to ‘black up’ for the performances. During the period of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes the blacking-up of dancers, a practice that would be unacceptable today, was common and occured in about a dozen ballets. The costumes were made by Mme Ivaschenko of Caffi, St Petersburg and a receipt for this may be found in the V&amp;A's Ekstrom Collection.\r\n\r\n\n","physicalDescription":"Photograph taken in the green room of the Theatre des Champs Elysses of a male dancer in a Ballets Russes production of <i>La Tragédie de Salomé</i>. The characters are described in the 1913-14 cast lists as 'Negro slaves', therefore the Russian dancer is 'blacked up'. The costume was described by Johnson ‘Their woolly pates are white, white ostrich plumes are girt about their middles, and round their ankles clasp what look suspiciously like white spats.' The costume includes a short white skirt with a wide belt with black briefs worn underneath.\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Gerschel, Charles","id":"AUTH345721"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Photograph","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2017JY4370"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343884"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photographs","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-general","note":"Racist stereotypes"}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1913","earliest":"1913-01-01","latest":"1913-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gabrielle Enthoven Collection","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"240","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"180","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This photograph was published in a feature spread about <i>La Tragédie de Salomé</i> in the Paris theatre magazine <i>Comoedia Illustr</i>é, 5 July 1913, pp.906-7.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Charles Gerschel of dancer Anatole Bourman  in <i>La Tragédie de Salomé</i>, performed by Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, 1913","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.331-2017"],"accessionNumberNum":"331","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2017,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-13","recordCreationDate":"2017-08-03","availableToBook":true}}