Portrait of Sergei Diaghilev

This portrait of the impresario of the Ballets Russes was sketched posthumously: Sergei Diaghilev died in Venice in 1929. Although Sergei Eisenstein is best known for his seminal work in film, he created thousands of sketches in his lifetime. Eisenstein was on familiar terms with the artists Alexandre Benois and Leon Bakst, who were both extremely influential in creating the visual world of the Ballets Russes in its early years. The figures to the right of the drawing also depict stars of the Ballets Russes’ first years. The male figures are identifiable as the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and the female figure is likely Nijinsky’s frequent partner, Tamara Karsavina.