Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova

[rg]

The Legats' caricature of Vaganova seems to indicated a cross between the "Queen of Variations" efforts in, perhaps, the Violente Fairy variation of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY and some under-the-sea variation, possibly from THE LITTLE HUMPBACKED HORSE or THE GOLD FISH.

The condition of this particular copy is not exactly 'mint' but the image itself is more or less in tact.

On witty correspondent suggested the presence of 'gang hand signals' for reading the caricature's 'content.'

[cubanmiamiboy]

Are those sparkling earings perhaps suggesting that Vaganova, like Kshesinskaya, liked to show off her real jewels onstage...?

[bart]

I really admire the subtlety of coloring in all of these prints, rg.

This one is certainly one of the strangest and most intriguing in the series so far. (I LOVE it.)

Makes me imagine a remake of Fantasia in which the cartoon goldfish who "dances" to the music of Arabian (Nutcracker) has been replaced by .......... http://www.google.co...=1t:429,r:7,s:0

The Trocks's rep includes a parody of an underwater segment from Humpbacked Horse. One of the variations is a gold fish on speed.

Cristian, regarding your question about jewelry. How about this photo? (The top one.)

http://xoomer.virgil...04/Vaganova.htm

The jewelry looks real (though not extravagant). Vaganova's affect here is quite different from the caricature. She seems quite reserved.

[Mme. Hermine]

which of course elsa lanchester did do, the year before the bride of frankenstein!

[cubanmiamiboy]

Thanks bart, for that pic...!

Vaganova's persona has always intrigued me. In every single book or autobiography I've read regarding the ballet Imperial times she's always described in the same way...non pretty, not too much popular etc...and then, she was the only one of these Primas who didn't flee the Soviet Revolution....