Costume design for The Firebird 1910

Léon Bakst made this costume design for The Firebird with gouache, watercolor, and graphite on paper. Look at those beautiful curves and swirls of orange! I really feel for Bakst here, you know? He had to create a design that would be dynamic on stage. I imagine him fretting, trying to capture movement in static form. The Firebird is all about color and energy, right? Bakst’s use of gouache gives the design a rich, opaque quality, almost like fabric itself. Those details! They must have taken ages. I feel like I'm looking at Klimt, the way his paintings celebrated the decorative richness of painting. This drawing isn't just a sketch; it’s a conversation between color, form, and movement. Artists learn from each other, riffing off ideas across time. Each brushstroke tells a story.