Harlequin.

A wonderful large original watercolour of Nijinsky as Harlequin in Le Carnaval by one of the most iconic artists of the Art Deco era.

Georges Lepape began his career as an illustrator for the designer Paul Poiret, before becoming one of the world's most famous fashion illustrators in the world, working primarily for Vogue. He helped define the style of the period but outside his role in the world of fashion, he was drawn to the vibrant colour palettes of the Ballets Russes, producing costume and set designs, as well as theatre programmes. He drew Nijinsky in Le Carnaval, Le Spectre de la Rose and Petrouchka, all in 1911, and returned to the theme for this magazine cover in 1918.

Original designs by Georges Lepape are highly sought after and this is a particularly fine example of his refined and elegant style, perfectly capturing Nijinsky's memorable performance.

This is the original design for Lepape's 1918 cover for the French satirical magazine, La Baionette (issue no 148, 1918). The magazine also features inside an amusing cartoon by Georges Villa captioned 'Encore Les Ballets Russes', using 'balais', or broom as a pun referencing the recent influx of Russian émigrés to Paris after the October Revolution.

Gouache and pencil on paper (35 x 27 cm), signed by the artist in the upper right corner in ink, minor age toning to margins, with a copy of 'La Baionnette' 1918.