Le dieu bleu the bride 1912

Léon Bakst made this costume design for the ballet “Le dieu bleu” in pencil, watercolor, and gouache. The figure is caught mid-motion. Those outstretched hands are so graceful—I can almost hear the music and feel the movement. Just imagine Bakst at his drawing board, conjuring this dancer into being with a few strokes of his brush. The paper is so white, and the costume pops off it with these vivid colors—red, green, and a deep indigo, all set against a background of pure white, like a blank canvas waiting to be filled. Think about how Bakst layers the design and materials, building up the texture and ornamentation. He's thinking about how the costume will shimmer under the stage lights, how the dancer will embody this exotic, otherworldly character. It's all about the transformative power of art. I think that the way Bakst uses line and color shows that he gets the exchange of ideas across cultures and time, inspiring our creativity.