Nadia Benois

{{Infobox person

| name = Nadia Benois

| native_name = {{nobold|Надежда Бенуа}}

| image = Nadia Benois self portrait.jpg

| caption = Self-portrait

| birth_name = Nadezhda Leontievna Benois

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|5|17|df=yes}}{{cite book |editor1-last=Dolman |editor1-first=Bernard |title=Who's who in Art |date=1962 |edition=11}}

| birth_place = Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1975|12|8|1896|4|27|df=yes}}

| death_place = Gloucestershire, England

| occupation = {{hlist|Artist|painter}}

| spouse = Jona von Ustinov

| children = Peter Ustinov

| relatives = Tamara Ustinov (granddaughter)

}}

Nadezhda Leontievna Ustinova ({{langx|ru|Надежда Леонтьевна Устинова}}; {{nee|Benois}} (Бенуа); 17 May 1896{{spaced ndash}}8 December 1975),{{cite book |last1=Chilvers |first1=Ian |title=The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0191024177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HFExDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT250}} better known as Nadia Benois,{{cite book |last1=Windsor |first1=Alan |title=Handbook of modern British painting and printmaking: 1900-1990 |date=1998 |publisher=Ashgate |location=Aldershot |isbn=1859284272 |edition=2nd of "Handbook of modern British painting : 1900-1980" Scolar press, 1992, expanded and updated}} was a Russian-born British painter of still lifes and landscapes, and stage designer. Her father Leon Benois belonged to the Benois family. She was the mother of British actor, writer, and filmmaker Sir Peter Ustinov.

Personal life

Nadia Benois, born Nadezhda Leontievna Benois in Saint Petersburg, was the youngest daughter of Leon Benois, a Russian architect. Nadezhda studied to be an artist at St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts. On 1 June 1920,{{Cite book |last=Day |first=Peter |title=The Bedbug: Klop Ustinov: Britain's Most Ingenious Spy |publisher=Biteback Publishing |year=2015 |isbn=978-1849549462 |edition=1st |pages=21–42}} Benois met Jona Ustinov, a journalist and diplomat; On 17 July 1920, Benois married Ustinov, and the two settled in London on 22 December 1920. On April 16, 1921, Peter, their only child was born. In 1935, Jona became a British subject.

She died on 8 December 1975 in Gloucestershire.{{cite book |last1=Bolton |first1=Roy |title=Views of Russia & Russian Works on Paper |publisher=Sphinx Fine Art |isbn=978-1-907200-05-2}}

Artistic career

= Painting work =

In the course of her travels, Benois painted the impressionist landscapes of London, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.{{Cite web | url=http://www.artrz.ru/1804783172.html |title = Искусство и архитектура русского зарубежья - БЕНУА (в замуж. Устинова) Надежда Леонтьевна}} She exhibited her works in the Goupil, Redfern, Beaux-Arts, and other galleries, and is mentioned in multiple journals from the Royal Arts Society.{{Cite journal|date=1917-12-29|title=THE WEEK|journal=BMJ|volume=2|issue=2974|pages=867–870|doi=10.1136/bmj.2.2974.867|s2cid=220237215|issn=0959-8138}} Some of her still lifes were acquired by the Tate Gallery in 1936.Foster, Alicia (2004). Tate Women Artists. London: Tate Publishing. p. 71 {{ISBN|1-85437-311-0}}

= Design work =

Benois was regarded as a figure of leadership in her design career.{{Cite journal |last=Haskell |first=Arnold L. |date=1939 |title=The Birth of the English Ballet |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41359367 |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Arts |volume=87 |issue=4517 |pages=784–806 |jstor=41359367 |issn=0035-9114}} She was the scenery and costume designer for The Descent of Hebe.{{Cite web |title=The Descent of Hebe |url=https://www.antonytudor.org/archives/the-descent-of-hebe |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=www.antonytudor.org}} Antony Tudor has stated that Benois' work was the inspiration for the choreography of this work.{{Cite journal |last=Sawyer |first=Elizabeth |date=2003-01-05 |title=The Enigmatic Garden: Antony Tudor's Jardin aux Lilas |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/DNC-120018852 |journal=Dance Chronicle |language=en |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=31–84 |doi=10.1081/DNC-120018852 |s2cid=192158608 |issn=0147-2526|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |last=Sawyer |first=Elizabeth |date=January 1997 |title="That Englishman abroad": A tribute to Antony Tudor |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01472529708569286 |journal=Dance Chronicle |language=en |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=227–273 |doi=10.1080/01472529708569286 |issn=0147-2526|url-access=subscription }} She also designed the stage for the ballet Cap over Mill, which was part of the Dark Elegies.{{Cite journal|last1=Gore|first1=Paula Hinton|last2=Crisp|first2=Clement|date=April 1988|title=IV. Walter Gore's Choreographies: A first listing First performance dates only are given. Many of these ballets were later staged for other companies|journal=Dance Research|volume=VI|issue=1|pages=23–29|doi=10.2307/1290745|issn=0264-2875|jstor=1290745}} Benois' work in Cap over Mill has been positively regarded as "striking décor".{{Cite book |last=Robinson |first=Suzanne |title=Peggy Glanville-Hicks: Composer and Critic |publisher=University of Illinois Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-0252084393 |edition=1st}} Her contributions to Dark Elegies have been credited as a key addition to the timelessness of the work.{{Cite journal |last=Siegel |first=Marcia B. |date=2006 |title=A Century in Brief |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20464540 |journal=The Hudson Review |volume=59 |issue=1 |pages=99–106 |jstor=20464540 |issn=0018-702X}} Benois was also credited for her work adding to the qualities which made Dark Elegies stand as a unique experience.{{Cite journal |last=Sawyer |first=Elizabeth |date=2005-03-16 |title=NOTES ON DARK ELEGIES |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/DNC-200048962 |journal=Dance Chronicle |language=en |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=1–27 |doi=10.1081/DNC-200048962 |s2cid=191619237 |issn=0147-2526|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |last=Kelly |first=Brigitte |date=January 1999 |title=Dancing for joy: A memoir, Part Two |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01472529908569350 |journal=Dance Chronicle |language=en |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=251–300 |doi=10.1080/01472529908569350 |issn=0147-2526|url-access=subscription }} In 1938, Benois designed the set and the costumes for La Péri. Despite the praise that was given to Benois' contributions, the performance was withdrawn due to criticism towards the choreographer.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-05 |title=Khadra and Sea Change: Sibelius's music at Sadler's Wells |url=https://sibeliusone.com/music-for-the-theatre/khadra-and-sea-change-sibeliuss-music-at-sadlers-wells/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Sibelius One |language=en-GB}} Her work on The Sleeping Princess has been criticized, with this criticism stimming from the low budget she was given.{{Cite journal |last=Walker |first=Kathrine Sorley |date=January 1998 |title=Robert Helpmann, dancer and choreographer part one |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01472529808569296 |journal=Dance Chronicle |language=en |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=1–72 |doi=10.1080/01472529808569296 |issn=0147-2526|url-access=subscription }} In 1948, Benois commented about her work on Lady into Fox, claiming it to be her "gem above all gems".{{Cite journal |last=Walker |first=Kathrine Sorley |date=January 1990 |title=The choreography of Andrée Howard |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01472529008569045 |journal=Dance Chronicle |language=en |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=265–358 |doi=10.1080/01472529008569045 |issn=0147-2526|url-access=subscription }} A performer for Lady into Fox has also praised Benois' design, claiming that the costume which she had designed for her to use was "perfect".{{Cite journal |last=Gilmour |first=Sally |date=1984 |title=Remembering Andrée Howard |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1290779 |journal=Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=48–60 |doi=10.2307/1290779 |jstor=1290779 |issn=0264-2875|url-access=subscription }}

Later, Benois created costumes and sets for the films Vice Versa (1948) and Private Angelo (1949), both written and directed by her son, Peter.{{Cite journal|date=May 1958|title=Royal Agricultural Society of England : Award of Research Medal|journal=Nature|volume=181|issue=4622|pages=1506–1507|doi=10.1038/1811506c0|issn=0028-0836|bibcode=1958Natur.181S1506.|doi-access=free}}[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0072219/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm "Nadia Benois | Biography | IMDb"] Retrieved on May 14, 2014.