Designer Robert Edmond Jones

Robert Edmond Jones (1889-1954)
Set Design for Scene II of
The Birthday of the Infanta
Set Designs for Scene I of
The Birthday of the Infanta
Watercolors with graphite and ink
Music Division
Gift of Mrs. John Alden Carpenter, 1963 (155B, 155C)

The sets and costumes for The Birthday of the Infanta were designed by Robert Edmond Jones, one of the most noted American scenic designers. His work for this production drew great notice, perhaps more than any other aspect of the ballet. The Birthday included two scenes: Scene I is in a garden of the palace, the setting for the birthday celebrations for the Infanta and the entertainments that include the dwarf, unaware of the nature of his appearance; Scene II is in an interior hall with great mirrors and enormous candles. In this scene, the dwarf is made to realize the truth about his appearance, through one of the mirrors, and is struck with a sense of futility for any hope for the love of the Infanta.