HISTOIRE DE LÉON BAKST by LEVINSON, ANDRÉ - 1924

Paris: Henri Reynaud, 1924. Paris: Société d’Éditions et de Librairie Henri Reynaud, 1924. Folio, original plain wrappers. Fine in chemise and slipcase. Of an edition of 345 copies, this is #72 of 150 copies on papier d’Arches vélin blanc. Mounted color frontispiece portrait of Bakst by Modigliani and 68 full page plates, mounted and in color with touches of gilt and silver, as well as illustrations in the text, many in color. Bakst (1866-1924) was a Russian painter and stage designer. With Alexander Benois and Serge Diaghilev, he founded Mir Iskusstva (World of Art), an avant-garde circle of artists and its eponymous journal. The most daring and brilliant stage designer of his time, his sensational costumes and décor for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in Orientalist, Symbolist and Art Nouveau styles with kinetic color and movement contributed to its spectacular successes and revolutionized 20th century stage design. A color illustration may be found on my website by clicking on Catalogue 31.. Original Wrappers.. Fine.. Illus. by Bakst.. Folio.