Ida Rubinstein 

Léon Bakst made this pencil drawing, titled 'Ida Rubinstein,' as a costume design for a production of 'Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien.' The image shows Rubinstein, a Russian ballerina, bound to a tree, pierced with arrows. Bakst was working in France at the time, in the early 20th century, designing sets and costumes for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The Ballets Russes was known for its avant-garde approach to dance and its exotic, sensual productions which drew on diverse cultural influences. In choosing St. Sebastian, Bakst engages with a figure who has come to symbolize both religious devotion and homoerotic desire. This work was progressive for its time because it puts a woman in the St. Sebastian role. The choice of Rubinstein, who often played androgynous roles, and who was openly bisexual, is also meaningful. To understand this drawing fully, we would want to consider the religious, sexual, and gender politics of early 20th century Europe, along with the history of the Ballets Russes. Art history is an interdisciplinary pursuit.