Danseur Syrien par Léon Bakst 1910 - 1913

Léon Bakst dreamed up this Syrian dancer, using watercolour and pencil. I think about the first marks and the many layers that follow, each one shaping and responding to what came before. There’s something so tender about this dancer, who seems to move with an ethereal lightness, but is weighed down by such heavy robes. The dancer’s hands are bent in soft curves. And this gesture feels ancient, like it has passed down through a long line of dancers. I wonder if Bakst ever imagined his drawings would still be seen today. I like to think about how artists are in conversation across time. Like, for example, I am thinking about Bakst right now as I work on my own paintings. I wonder if any of my ideas will be carried on by other artists. It’s a mystery, but also a kind of hope.