#magic nights

Pearl Argyle as Madame Récamier and Frederick Ashton as Her Suitor in Ashton's ballet "An 1805 Impression", created for the C. B. Cochran revue, Magic Nights, 1932

Although inspired by the portrait of Récamier by Jacques-Louis David, that painting was abandoned by the artist in 1800, while the portrait from 1805 was by François Gérard, so Ashton may have got his art history muddled. Also, although Récamier's suitor is unnamed, he is clearly identifiable as Prince Augustus of Prussia, arguably Récamier's most devoted admirer and the one who came closest to inspiring a reciprocated passion: his proposal of marriage was rejected, but only after initially being accepted, and among the lovers' fervent vows to each other was a promise by Juliette to avoid flirting with other men.

Despite her reputation as an indolent lounger, Récamier in fact had a lively taste for dancing, which Ashton may have been aware of when creating the ballet. In any case, one account from its opening performance—in the unlikely setting of the Grill Room of the Trocadero Restaurant—gave testimony to the ballet's success in animating a previously static subject:

Lluvia de estrellas

Source details and larger version.