Downpour 1906

Léon Bakst, a Russian artist associated with the Ballets Russes, made this small gouache drawing, called 'Downpour'. It depicts a woman in classical garb, holding an umbrella, with a group of figures running for cover. The work evokes a sense of theater, in which a protagonist takes center stage, while a chorus of figures perform around her. Bakst was a stage designer, and there is much about this work that seems like set design or costume design. He was not only instrumental in shaping the visual aesthetic of the Ballets Russes, but also in shaping the art world of Paris and St. Petersburg. To better understand Bakst’s world and the way art shapes the experience of modern life, we can look at the social, political, and cultural context in which this was made, using archival materials such as letters, periodicals, and exhibition catalogues. Art is always contingent on social and institutional settings.