Wooden Sleeping Beauty Decoration

Bakst’s paintings of Sleeping Beauty were commissioned in 1913 by the newly married James de Rothschild to decorate the drawing room of his London house. The choice of subject was left to the artist, who completed the seven panels in 1922, delayed by ill health, other work and the First World War. In 1923 it was decided to hang the panels in the dining room, but it is not known whether they were ever installed. They were finally hung in the dining room of James and Dorothy’s next house, at 23 St James’ Place. They were installed in the Bakst Room at Waddesdon in 1995.