Costume Design. Carmen, Mercedes, Frasquita 1948

Curator: Well, hello there! Have you ever seen a drawing simply vibrate with life? This one practically dances off the page. Editor: It does have an infectious energy, doesn't it? Almost dizzying at first glance. Tell me more. Curator: Gladly! We're looking at a costume design for Carmen, specifically Mercedes and Frasquita, two of Carmen’s cohorts. It’s a 1948 work by Alexander Khvostenko-Khvostov. Painted using acrylics, I believe. Editor: The colours really leap out. Reminds me a little of Fauvism, actually, the way those oranges and blues clash and pop. How much would these designs influenced costume of the era, in a post-war aesthetic perhaps. Curator: Ah, absolutely! You see Khvostenko-Khvostov taking cues from art movements, filtering those bold, expressive tendencies into functional designs for stage characters, and how theatre served as vehicle for collective imagination? I also love the fact that, well, you *know* these ladies are trouble. The design alone conveys so much about their personalities. Editor: True, there’s something deliciously mischievous about their swagger. Their skirts really suggest movement, those layered fabrics. Curator: Right? It's all energy. Costume design isn’t always fully appreciated but what would performances be without them, particularly of this type? Here’s hoping that this vibrant record makes its own song for us. Editor: Agreed, there's so much hidden within these materials to learn more about, beyond art or cultural history! A real visual treasure.