Fiery Works Housed in a Place of Peace
A century ago, avant-garde artists sought out the painter Nicholas Roerich when they needed historical representation. His décor for the original ballet Le Sacre du Printemps, with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky, made a household word of his name (almost.) But when the legendary work is reimagined, as it has been at least 150 times, he’s usually not credited as a creator.
In an exceptional 1987 reconstruction, Millicent Hodgson and Kenneth Archer attempted to piece together the lost choreography for the Joffrey Ballet. They made numerous visits to the museum to study Roerich’s designs, forty years after his death. A look through the museum, which has been open to the public since 1949, attests to his part in the classic collaboration.
Elders in Bearskins.1944
Tempera on cardboard. 30.5 x 45.5 cm
© Collection of the Nicholas Roerich Museum.
Roerich recreated his Le Sacre du Printemps designs for Massine’s 1944 production. Elders is the first thing you see when you enter the Museum, on quiet, tree-lined W.107th Street in New York City.