Severini was fascinated by the dancehall as a subject for the opportunity it offered for the depiction of multisensory experience. Here he pictures a woman with brown curls and a white, blue, and pink flounced dress as she dances to music in the Paris nightclub Bal Tabarin. Different elements of the work point to current events—the Arab riding a camel refers to the Turco-Italian War of 1911, and flags convey sentiments of nationalism. In his depiction of Bal Tabarin the artist merges the Futurists’ interest in capturing the dynamism of motion with the integration of text and collage elements, such as sequins, influenced by his study of French Cubism. Severini was a fervent Italian nationalist, but he insisted that his fellow Futurists come to Paris, as he had, to learn about the latest developments in modern art.
Gallery label from 2009.
Here a woman with brown curls and a white, blue, and pink flounced dress dances in the Paris nightclub Bal Tabarin. Elements of the work point to current events—the Arab riding a camel refers to the Turco-Italian War of 1911 and flags indicate sentiments of nationalism. In his depiction of Bal Tabarin the artist merges his interest in capturing the dynamism of motion, shared with fellow Futurists, with the integration of text and collage elements, such as sequins, influenced by his study of French Cubism.
Gallery label from On Line: Drawing Through the Twentieth Century, November 21, 2010-February 7, 2011.
