Photograph of Nijinsky in Carnaval.

Items signed by Nijinsky are of the utmost rarity.

A true virtuoso, Nijinsky was the most famous male ballet dancer of his era and had an immense influence on 20th century ballet. He is photographed here by Baron de Meyer as Harlequin in Fokine's ballet, Carnaval, one of his most memorable performances. He was the 'ideal Fokine interpreter, able to expand a simple choreographic design into a rich dramatic portrait, using, in keeping with Fokine's dicta, the whole body as an expressive instrument.' (Cohen, The International Encyclopedia of Dance Vol. 4, pp. 646-8).

Adolph de Meyer (1868 - 1946) was appointed the official fashion photographer for Vogue in 1913, in part thanks to the indelible images of Nijinsky he had taken in the previous few years. The photographs he took of Nijinsky in Paris for his roles in L'Après-Midi d'un Faune, Le Spectre de la Rose and of course Carnaval remained iconic images of the dancer.