International studio (58.1916)

Line Drawing Studies of the Russian Baltet


INE DRAWING STUDIES OF THE RUS-
SIAN BALLET BY EDMUND VAN
SAANEN ALGI

IMPRESSIONS OF NIJINSKY
AND PAVLOWA
IN CHARACTERISTIC ATTITUDES

its very finished effect has contradicted the
subtle motif it was endeavouring to
portray. Thus by one or two elo-
quent lines Algi gives us an
interpretation of Isi-
dora Duncan as
Iphigenia or

The most interesting feature of the
recent exhibition at Scribner’s, inspired by the
Ballet Russe, was a collection of drawings by
Edmund Van Saanen Algi. In these charming
sketches and studies of Nijinsky and other dan-
cers, Algi has recorded motion with his pen
in such a manner that his models may be
said literally to be dancing. In his sketch- A
es by means of elimination he has
achieved continued action, and so
these apparently unfinished draw-
ings represent the passing of
one posture into another in-
stead of the frozen atti- f
tude of people in un-
natural positions so J
often on exhibi-
tion, in which J&g
inessential
detail by KSHk

of Pavlowa floating in the
Swan Dance.
One finds no unnecessary draw-
ings of hands and
no
. mperiluous e.xpioi-
SPBMSc W tation of anatomy.
JL * The artist is con-
scious that we do
not really discern
hands, fingers and feet in detail while watching
the dancer, that what we see is in truth liquid
flow of line, and it is that which he has so suc-
cessfully transcribed on paper.
It has been noted somewhere that all his studies
represent “dynamic energy,” restless action, and
that in none of them is there a sustained note of
repose. Yet, if one remembers
correctly, there were several
studies (Id apresmidi de Faune,
f°r instance! which indicated a

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