Eugène BERMAN (Saint Petersburg 1899 - ? 1972) - Lot 142

Eugène BERMAN (Saint Petersburg 1899 - ? 1972) Study for Romeo and Juliet, ballet performed at the Metropolitan. Pen and black ink, gray wash. Monogrammed and dated lower left E. B / 1943 Titled at top Romeo and Juliet / Coiffures. 23.6 x 31.5 cm Eugène Berman was a painter and decorator. He left Russia at an early age and is said to have been a pupil of Maurice Denis in Paris, but his painting, mainly portraits and landscapes, was influenced above all by de Chirico and Picasso. Between 1923 and 1927, he exhibited at the Salon d'Automne. In 1935, he moved to the United States, where he worked as a stage designer. The ballet Romeo and Juliet, by composer Frédéric Delius, was staged in a single act by celebrated Metropolitan Opera choreographer Antony Tudor. The premiere, which was incomplete due to lack of time, took place on April 6, 1943. Dali had initially been asked to design the sets and costumes, but following disagreements, Eugène Berman replaced him. His work, inspired mainly by Botticelli and Pisanello, was unanimously acclaimed. This ballet is regularly returned to the repertory.