Vaslav Nijinsky, the legendary Russian ballet dancer and choreographer, met Amedeo Modigliani around 1910. Nijinsky had come to Paris from Russia in 1909 as part of a troupe organized by the innovative and celebrated ballet producer, Sergei Diaghilev, to perform a series of ballets and stage plays. The group, which also included prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, later became known as the now-famous Ballets Russes.
This Study of Nijinsky, a highlight of the March 3rd 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings auction, has been confirmed by Lynn Garafola, Professor of Dance at Barnard College, Columbia University, New York. The pencil drawing has been exhibited several times: in 1959 at the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati Art Museum; the Museé de Luxembourg, Paris, 2002-2003; and the Jewish Museum, New York, in 2004, to name just a few.
Amedeo Modigliani, Study of Nijinsky, pencil drawing, circa 1910. Estimate: $40,000 to $60,000.Labels: ballet, Modigliani, Nijinsky, Paris, Prints and Drawings, Todd Weyman
