Negro Ballet

We recognise the sensitive nature of the title of this work but reproduce it in the knowledge that it ‘was of its time’ and that the artist would not have used it today.

This was painted (date unknown) at the request of the Wildenstein Gallery who invited artists to send paintings on the theme of ballet.

This work, known most recently as 'Negro Wedding', has been a bit of an enigma to us. How did Richard come to paint it? Caroline Krzesinska's note above, quoted from the catalogue for the 1979-80 Retrospective, may have put us on the right track to finding out. 

First we researched the title of the Wildernstein exhibition. It was 'Scènes de Ballet', a title that connects the picture to the 1951 Redfern Gallery showing of a work titled 'Negro Ballet'. Another search threw up a reference to 'Les Ballets Nègres'. They were Europe's first all-black dance troupe that got an …

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This work, known most recently as 'Negro Wedding', has been a bit of an enigma to us. How did Richard come to paint it? Caroline Krzesinska's note above, quoted from the catalogue for the 1979-80 Retrospective, may have put us on the right track to finding out. 

First we researched the title of the Wildernstein exhibition. It was 'Scènes de Ballet', a title that connects the picture to the 1951 Redfern Gallery showing of a work titled 'Negro Ballet'. Another search threw up a reference to 'Les Ballets Nègres'. They were Europe's first all-black dance troupe that got an enthusiastic reception from the public right from their premiere in 1946 through the late 1940s until they folded in 1953. BBC TV featured them twice. They were popular. Richard could easily have known about them from press articles and photos.

Put all that together and we suspect that 'Les Ballets Nègres' may have been the inspiration for this work, perhaps through their piece 'De Bride Cry'? The painting looks like a theatre stage set more than a real wedding. We think that there is a good chance that 'Negro Wedding' and 'Negro Ballet' are the same work, so we have merged their provenance for this entry, and changed the name to the Redfern version 'Negro Ballet' because it reflects the probable connection to the 'Les Ballets Nègres' and the title of the exhibition - 'Scènes de Ballet'. 

Does anyone know anything more about this work? Have we gone completely up the wrong path?

More details about 'Les Ballets Nègres' can be found here:

• They were Britain's first black dance company. How come no one's ever heard of them? - The Guardian (1999)
• Les Ballets Nègres - RILM blog (which includes some video of the BBC filming)
• Les Ballets Nègres - Connecting Histories