Alicia Markova "The Dying Swan"

Alicia Markova "The Dying Swan"
Artist	Vladimir Tretchikoff
Year	1949
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	92 cm × 72 cm (36 in × 28.5 in)

Alicia Markova "The Dying Swan" (also known as The Dying Swan, but not to be confused with another painting with the same title by the same artist started in 1949 and completed in 1951) is a painting by Vladimir Tretchikoff painted in 1949. In this portrait fantasy, Tretchikoff has identified the prima ballerina Alicia Markova in her most famous role - The Dying Swan - from which, as did Anna Pavlova, she has become inseparable in the minds of all lovers of the ballet; it is for this reason that the artist painted the swan and Markova as one and the same being.

Extract from Tretchikoff's Autobiography Pigeon's Luck:

The Schlesinger organisation was sponsoring a tour of South Africa by the Royal Ballet from London, with its principals Alicia Markova and her partner, Anton Dolin. When I returned to Cape Town Natalie and I went to see them dance, and I was so intrigued that I went to see them rehearse. I was sitting in the stalls with a friend nicknamed Silver Fox from his pure white shock of hair. Markova was dancing the Dying Swan in 'Swan Lake' and I found the experience moved me deeply.

'I want to paint her,' I told Silver Fox.

'Why don't you ask her manager? He's sitting next to us.'

When the rehearsal was over Silver Fox introduced me to Markova's manager, and told him of my idea. He did not look enthusiastic.

'Not a chance,' he said. 'There's no time.'

'If anyone can paint Alicia this is your man,' he said earnestly. 'He'll make it something special.'

The manager hardly stirred.

'Got anything to show me?' he asked, obviously bored stiff by the whole idea.

'Not here,' I said. 'But my studio's just around the corner from your hotel. If you have a few minutes to spare I'll come and fetch you.'

'Okay. I'll give you five minutes tomorrow morning. Pick me up at nine sharp.'

At the studio the next morning he looked through my paintings, and it amused me to find that this hard-headed American so long immersed in the cut-and-thrust of show business was not indifferent to them. In fact, he stayed all morning.

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