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Leon Bakst (Russian, 1866-1924) Set design study for Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien (The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian), gouache, pencil, pen and gold paint on paper (framed), ca. 1911. Notated with title and directions for set construction. Signed Baskt (lower right), 17'' x 12 1/2'' (sight). Provenance: Private Collection, New Jersey. Note: Ida Rubinstein (1885-1960) was a ballet dancer and iconic Belle poque beauty from Russia. A proteg‚ of the great ballet entrepreneur Serge Diaghilev, she became her own producer in Paris in 1911. Her first production, Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien (The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian), was written for her in verse by her lover, the poet and playwright Gabriele d'Annunzio, with sets by the designer/illustrator, L‚on Bakst, score by Claude Debussy and choreography by Michel Fokine. The play opened in Paris on May 22, 1911 It was a triumph for its stylized modernism and it was a scandal: the Archbishop of Paris forbade Catholics to attend because St. Sebastian was being played by a woman and a Jew. It was last revived under the direction of Robert Wilson in 1987 for the Paris Opera Ballet. All proceeds from this sale go the not-for-profit organization Gay Men's Health Crisis.