To celebrate Leon Bakst’s largely forgotten existence, Bibliothèque de France and Opéra National de Paris recently organised concurrent exhibitions showcasing his artistic creations. They enabled visitors to follow the itinerary of this Russia-born genius, who became a dynamic figure in Parisian society during his own lifetime but was totally forgotten soon after his death in 1924.

While working in Paris, Bakst gave art lessons. One of his students was Marc Chagall, who would later turn into a celebrity of the art world, along with many other stars of the Surrealist movement, such as Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse. Art critics and many literary figures of the era, such as Marcel Proust — the legendary author of In Search of Lost Time — would remain outspoken admirers of Bakst’s artistic exploits.

Born in Russia in 1866, Bakst studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg. In 1891, he travelled to many European countries, such as England, Italy and Germany, searching for newer artistic visions for opera performances, a job for which he was initially trained and employed.

Quite accidentally, while in France in 1896, he watched the descent of Russian sailors from a naval ship. Terribly excited by the dramatic scene, he painted a huge canvas that was a long distance away from his usual practice of creating theatrical backgrounds. He was immediately recognised as a highly gifted artist by the French critics of the era.

The Paris Opera and the National Library of France pay homage to a forgotten genius of Paris’ artistic landscape

Bakst’s successes in Paris from then on would be astronomical. He exhibited at the National Gallery of Art and landed a contract for creating decorative layouts for the exhibition of Russian scenes at the Salon d’Automne in 1908. As painter, portraitist and opera designer, he asserted a powerful, refined and dynamic perspective that was not only inspired by the artistic styles of his country of birth, but was also influenced by the Greek, French, Italian, German and Oriental romantic traditions.

Apart from his breathtakingly vast and detailed landscapes, Bakst also became a celebrity during his own lifetime for his portraits of the well-known figures of the world of letters and arts, such as the Russian writer Ivan Bunin, Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova and the French classical music composer Claude Debussy — not to forget many of his own self-mocking portraits.

Among Bakst’s most famous and admired stage and costume designs that can be seen at the Opera or the National Library of France are the backdrops for a number of theatrical masterpieces, such as Scheherazade, Spirit of the Rose, Afternoon of a Faun, and Daphnis & Chloe.

‘Leon Bakst 1866-1924’ is on display at the Opera of Paris and the National Library from January 15-April 24, 2024

The writer is an art critic based in Paris. He can be reached at zafmasud@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 24th, 2024