NADIA BENOIS (1896-1975)
Summer Orchard
signed and dated N. Benois/1935 (lower left)
oil on canvas
51 x 59 cm

Nadia Benois, born in 1896, her father was the artist Alexandre Benois, and her uncle was the architect Leon Benois.

Benois studied at the Petrograd Academy of Fine Arts and later at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg. She developed a keen interest in stage design and began working in the field

In 1917, following the Russian Revolution, Benois and her family left Russia and settled in Western Europe. She continued her career as a stage designer and gained recognition for her innovative and imaginative set designs.

Benois worked with several prominent ballet companies, including the Ballets Russes, where she collaborated with renowned choreographers and dancers such as Serge Diaghilev, George Balanchine, and Vaslav Nijinsky. Her set designs were known for their intricate details, vivid colors, and ability to create a sense of atmosphere and narrative within the production.

In addition to her work in stage design, Benois was also an accomplished painter. She exhibited her paintings in various exhibitions in Europe, and her artwork often explored themes of nature, fantasy, and mythology.