Sad Clown

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: private collection.

When naturalistic scenography was replaced by stylization and decorativeness, the actors were lost in the forest of scenery. Constructivism, on the contrary, “bared” the scene, and sometimes wholly neglected its laws. Andriienko-Nechytailo found a way to balance these two extremes. This also applied to costumes. Two preserved paired sketches in the style of cubism – sad and funny clowns – have long become independent works and are cited in many publications as classic examples of Art Nouveau in the art of decorating theater productions. They were created in Bucharest for the opera-ballet Millions of Harlequin. The colours of the costumes are much more intense and bright than the colours in the scenery; this meets the laws of the scene. Andriienko’s developments were a great success, and he was invited to the Royal Opera of Romania as the chief decorator. However, the young artist dreamed of Paris.