A wonderfully illustrated edition of one of Pushkin's most celebrated works.

Tchaikovsky's masterpiece based on Pushkin's Pikovaya Dama was Benois' favourite opera. Although he provided some of the décor for a 1903 production, it was not until May 1921 that Benois produced and adapted Tchaikovsky's libretto and designed all the sets and the costumes for the State Theatre for Opera and Ballet in Petrograd. These illustrations dating from a decade before, obviously influenced the 1921 production.

First edition; 4to (30 x 24 cm); 15 mounted colour plates, numerous colour illustrations in text, all by Benois; later half maroon morocco over marbled boards, spine in parts with gilt tooling, minor staining to margins, loss of paper to corner of one leaf, a very good copy.