Signed l.r.: Beaton

Watercolour over ink, 39.5 by 27 cm

Exhibited: Susan Sheehan Gallery, New York, Andy Warhol and Cecil Beaton - Design and Draughtsmanship, March-May 2000 (no.3) 

The present work is an original design for Frederick Ashton's ballet Illuminations, produced for New York City Ballet in 1950 with music by Benjamin Britten from his song cycle Les Illuminations. John Piper wrote to Beaton describing as the latter's designs for the ballet as "amongst the finest I have seen on the modern stage...".