Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova (Russian, 1881-1962)


Costume design for a court attendant of Queen of Shamakhan, for production of 'Le Coq d'Or' signed in Cyrillic (upper right), inscribed in Cyrillic (lower right); signed with artist's monogram in Latin, further inscribed in French with the title of production (on verso)pencil, gouache on card partially laid on board33 x 29.3cm (13 x 9 1/4in).
|ProvenanceBy repute acquired by a private New York collector at Sotheby's, London, 1978Thence by descentLe Coq d'Or by N. Rimsky-Korsakov was composed as opera in 1907. In 1914 it was re-worked as opera-ballet and performed at the Palais Garnier by the Ballets Russes. All costume designs were created by Natalia Goncharova. The present work depicts a court attendant of Queen of Shamakhan, a ruler of an exotic locale referenced in the A. Pushkin fairy-tale 'Le Cog d'Or' (Zolotoi Petushok), which was based on Shamakhi region of present day Azerbaijan.