Pen and ink on paper, 27cm x 20cm, (54cm x 48cm framed). Provenance: Alexander Iolas Gallery, New York.

Bérard, an artist, fashion illustrator and designer. Bérard and his lover Boris Kochno, who directed the Ballets Russes, were one of the most prominent openly gay couples in French theater during the 1930s and '40s. By the end of the 1920's, he was an influence on and an inspiration to several fashion designers, notably Christian Dior and Elsa Schiaparelli. His work also appeared in Harpers Bazaar. In 1935 he appeared in Vogue. He was one of the great Bohemian characters of Paris.

Alongside his artistic career, he played an important role in the development of theatrical design in the 1930s and 1940s. He also worked as a fashion illustrator for Coco Chanel, amonst others. Bérard also designed for Jean Cocteau's film La Belle et la Bête (1946). After his sudden death in 1949, Cocteau dedicated his film Orphée (1950) to him.

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