Drawing

Pen and ink portrait on paper by Laura Knight of Vanda Evina in her dressing room at the Coliseum Theatre, making up for her role in The Roses, which opened on 15 September 1924, inscribed 'To Evie with love. A souvenir of the Coliseum & 'The Roses'. Laura Knight.'

Vanda Evina (also called Wanda Evina) was a dancer who performed for part of her career with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.

As well as painting and drawing, Laura Knight also made designs for jewellery, ceramics (including her famous “Circus” pattern) and costumes for a short ballet, The Roses, choreographed by Leonide Massine (originally created for Soiree de Paris)and performed at the London Coliseum in 1924 in which starred Vera Savina and Stanislas Idzikowski.

A variant of this drawing later appeared as an etching.