Daphnis and Chloe costume 1912

Editor: This drawing is a costume design for "Daphnis and Chloe" by Léon Bakst from 1912. It's so vibrant, the way those colors pop. What do you notice about it? Curator: I see a fascinating collision of history, culture, and artistic intent. Bakst, a prominent figure in the Ballets Russes, was deeply engaged with the “Orientalism” pervasive in early 20th-century Europe. This costume, while ostensibly Grecian in theme, draws heavily on stylized interpretations of Near Eastern aesthetics. Editor: So, it’s not actually Grecian, even though it’s for Daphnis and Chloe? Curator: It is and it isn’t. The narrative context is undeniably rooted in classical antiquity. But the visual language—the geometric patterning, the saturated colors—it’s all filtered through a lens of European fascination with the "exotic." It’s also a good question to consider, “Who is this image for?” Editor: Right, like it's not meant to be an accurate historical representation for, say, an ancient Greek audience? It's a Western interpretation meant for Western audiences. Curator: Precisely! The Ballets Russes aimed to shock and seduce their audiences with perceived Eastern extravagance. Bakst uses clothing and implied "decadence" as symbols of power and difference. It invites questions of cultural appropriation and how dominant cultures construct notions of "otherness" to serve particular narratives. Editor: I see how it becomes about something much bigger than just the ballet itself. Curator: Exactly. Costume design like this doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's a reflection of the social and political climate of its time, the institution producing the art, and also speaks to historical relationships. Editor: I didn’t think of it that way, but it does open up so many other ways to view the drawing. Thank you.