Léon Bakst
Léon Bakst was born in Grodno in 1866 and later moved to Saint Petersburg. He studied at the Academy of Arts from 1883 to 1887. In 1891, he travelled through Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, and Italy. He moved to Paris in 1893, where he visited the studio of Jean-Léon Gérôme and the Académie Julian, and studied under Albert Edelfelt.
Biography
Bakst joined the circle of Alexander Benois and Sergeï Diaghilev in 1890. He participated in the organisation of the World of Art association in 1898 and taught at Yelizaveta Zvantseva’s art school between 1906 and 1909. From 1909, he lived in Paris. His early graphic work included book designs and journalistic drawings. He later contributed to various journals and books. Solis Prints offers fine art prints of his work, including Design for Stage Decoration.
Timeline
- 1899Painted "Big Philanthropic Puppet Bazaar, St. Petersburg" aged 33.
- 1905Painted "Portrait of Boris Nikolayevich Bugaev (Andrey Bely)" aged 39.
- 1910Painted "Aide de camp of the Shah, costume design for Diaghilev's production of the ballet Scheherazade" aged 44.
- 1912Painted "Nijinsky's Faun Costume in 'L'Apres Midi d'un Faune' by Claude Debussy from the front cover of the programme for the 7th season of the 'Ballets Russes'" aged 46.
- 1921Painted "Costume design for The Master of Ceremonies, from Sleeping Beauty" aged 55.
- 1921Painted "Costume design for the Marchioness Hunting, from Sleeping Beauty" aged 55.
Notable Works
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Léon Bakst prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Léon Bakst's body of work.
Portrait of the Future Countess Henri de Boisgelin - Leon Bakst
From £37.00
Art Open Letter of the Red Cross - Leon Bakst
From £37.00
The Supper - Leon Bakst
From £37.00
Vase (Self-Portrait) - Leon Bakst
From £37.00
Portrait of Alexandre Benois - Leon Bakst
From £28.00
An Ancient Horror - Leon Bakst
From £37.00
Related Artists
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See all Léon Bakst prints →Frequently Asked Questions
When was Léon Bakst born?
Léon Bakst was born in 1866 and died in 1924.Where can I see Léon Bakst's paintings?
Léon Bakst's works can be seen in 10 museums worldwide, including National Gallery of Armenia, Russian Museum, Tretyakov Gallery.What is Léon Bakst known for?
Léon Bakst is known for léon Bakst was a Russian artist who lived in Paris and contributed to the World of Art association and the Ballets Russes.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Léon Bakst.
- [1] book Miller, Judith, 1951-, Art deco Used for: biography.
- [2] book Judith Miller, DK Collector's Guides: Art Deco Used for: biography.
- [3] book Peter. Leek, Russian Painting Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-09-27. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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