Natalia Goncharova, Costume study for a dancer in the ballet ‘Coup de Bambou’

Technical Information:

Medium: pencil, watercolour and ink on paper

Size: 31 x 19 cm

Signature: ‘N. Gontcharova’ on lower left, also inscribed: ‘N4 coup de Bambous, cost NG’ on verso

Provenance:

Private collection, Europe

Additional information:

Natalia Goncharova’s design process for ballet and theatre productions started in her sketchbook, after a few rough studies and having settled on a design, Goncharova would complete a detailed drawing which then would be copied several times onto tracing paper.

The present study is likely one of the detailed costume designs which followed her sketches. Executed first in pencil - with alterations visible around the trousers and in the dancer’s left hand - the finalised design is then traced in ink and coloured in with watercolour.