Dancers: Devi Dja

 

Max Pollak

  1886 - 1970 (biography)

c. 1945  

graphite and color crayon preparatory drawing 

16 x 12 1/2" image size 

pencil, lower right 

 

pencil titled above signature 

etching at the FAMSF, acquisition no. T&D1962.154 

cream laid with "Hand Made" watermark 

 

 

24067 

$450.00 

A preparatory drawing for the print titled "Devia Dja, Javanese Dancer". Devi Dja was born on the island of Java and trained in traditional Legong dancing in Bali. The Legong dance is meant to be performed by prepubescent children; however, Dja continued to dance in a non-ceremonial capacity after she'd reached puberty, inspired by the ballerina Anna Pavlova. She was discovered by the symphony conductor Leopold Stokowski who had been traveling in Bali. At his encouragement, then 16-year-old Dja assembled a troupe of musicians and dancers to tour throughout the world. She eventually settled in Hollywood, California, and appeared in various films as a dancer, including "The Picture of Dorian Gray." By the end of her career she had established herself as one of the first people to introduce Balinese dance and theater to much of the world. She died in Northridge, California, on January 20, 1989.