The Pilgrim of the Blue God
1917
Léon Bakst brings the exotic flair of the Ballets Russes to life in this striking costume design for the ballet 'Le Dieu Bleu.' The figure, a pilgrim, strides forward in a dazzling array of patterns—green triangles on white trousers and a sweeping cape dotted with red and green circles. Bakst was the master of stage design, and his bold use of color and fluid lines here perfectly captures the theatrical magic that made the Russian ballets the talk of Paris. The text at the bottom identifies this as a program from 1911, highlighting the 'Orientalist' craze that swept through early 20th-century fashion and art.
Location: New York Public Library
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