Ballet Russes

This is an image from the beginning of the twentieth Century, from the Ballet Russes, a product of the  Russian revolution, this ballet brought a much needed new sense of optimism to Europe.


The economic, political and social confusion of the revolutions was expressed using several different mediums, which were combined to create a united world, hence the use of artists to design costumes etc.


New perspectives were created through a sense of humanism, where the contradictions of modern life were communicated through the use of colour and complex, contradictory relationships between different forms of creative art became the norm. 


The ballet company was formed by Serge Diaghilev, and through the use of colour, and the help of artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Sonia Delaunay, new stage sets and costumes were made.

The costumes for the Ballet Russes were largely inspired by the Orient, as Diaghilev was highly fond of several different aspects of life there; including the bright colours and rich fabrics such as silk.