Alexander Nikolaevich Benois

Acquired by the grandparents of the present owner in Paris in the late 1920s

Benois illustrated Pushkin's tale of The Queen of Spades on numerous occasions, both for publications and the stage. The present set design relates to the 1921 production of Tchaikovsky’s opera at the Petrograd Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (formerly the Mariinsky Theatre). Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Mariinsky was transferred to the jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat of Education and a newly created directory was established, shaped by famous performers, artists and theatre directors. Having joined the directory as a ‘consultant for the artistic and decorative part’, Benois immediately took over all the questions related to stage design and was soon offered a permanent position as a director and stage designer. The Queen of Spades premiered on 3^rd May 1921. According to the archival records, the costume and set designs for the opera were completed by July 1919.