Ernst Oppler
Le Carnaval
circa 1917
Etching, drypoint
German Dance Archive Cologne / SK Foundation for Culture
On May 20, 1910, one day before Käthe Kollwitz saw the Ballets Russes perform a mixed program on stage, a new ballet choreographed by Mikhail Fokine (1880–1942) premiered at the Theater des Westens. Le Carnaval, based on the piano suite of the same name by Robert Schumann (1810–1856) and featuring costumes by Léon Bakst (1866–1924), is one of the company’s most legendary pieces. Ernst Oppler (1867–1929) depicts dancers Tamara Karsavina (1885–1978) and Vaslav Nijinsky (1889–1950) here.