Scheherazade
by George Barbier
Title
Scheherazade
Artist
George Barbier
Medium
Mixed Media
Description
Scheherazade is the famous storyteller in the collection known as the 'One Thousand and One Nights' or the 'Arabian Nights'.
The 1,001 tales have been immortalised in many ways, one of the most famous through the medium of dance, especially ballet.
The most renowned version was created by Ballets Russes, the ballet company conceived by impresario Sergei Diaghilev, based in Paris between 1909 and 1929.
The work of many notable artists and composers were employed to bring the productions to life.
In the case of Scheherazade the music was taken from the 1888 work composed by Rimsky-Korsakov and the artistic interpretations created by Leon Bakst.
However, many artists contributed versions of images to celebrate current productions.
This image was created by the great French Art Deco illustrator George Barbier in 1910 under his pseudonym 'Larry'. I have taken the liberty to adjust it to a halftone look, in the style of Roy Lichtenstein.
Scheherazade is the daughter of Jafar, Chief Minister of Shahryar, a King of the Persians. He ruled over an Empire that extended to India and then beyond the River Ganges as far as China.
Unexpectedly, he suffers a betrayal when his wife is found sleeping with another man. He believes all women will eventually do the same.
Thereafter, every night for three years, he takes a virgin for his wife only to have her beheaded the next morning. This continues until he meets Scheherazade who had been selected for his next wife.
For 1001 nights in a row, Scheherazade tells the King a different story, each time stopping at dawn without finishing the tale. This forces him to keep her alive for another day so that she can complete the story the next night.
After 1,001 tales are told, Scheherazade says she has no more stories to tell. However, Shahryar has fallen in love with her and goes on to marry her and to become a wise and beneficient ruler.
Uploaded
February 8th, 2013
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