Pavel Tchelitchew

This is a lithograph on paper that has been laid down on linene. The sheet is in overall good condition aside from toning, which is gradated throughout the work. There are three horizontal hard creases across the work, as well as one vertical hard crease down the center. These appear to be from a previous folding and there are abrasions and rubbings associated with these creases.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Georges Balanchine formed his own company, Les Ballets 1933, in Paris after years of working as both dancer and choreographer, namely with Serge Diaghilev and his Ballet Russes, with whom Balanchine danced from 1924 until Diaghilev's death in 1929. The new company allowed Balanchine to collaborate freely with leading artistic figures of the day, such as Pavel Tchelitchew, and the company's avant-garde performances caught the attention of Lincoln Kirstein, the American cultural aesthete, who saw in Balanchine a way to build the American ballet tradition. In 1934, Balanchine and Kirstein opened the School of American Ballet in New York, the precursor to the New York City Ballet, which they established in 1948.