Gaby Deslys as The Charm of Paris in 'New Aladdin'
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Gaby Deslys as The Charm of Paris in 'New Aladdin'
by Cecil Beaton
pen and ink and wash with glitter, circa 1930
10 3/4 in. x 8 1/8 in. (273 mm x 205 mm)
Accepted in lieu of tax by H.M. Government and allocated to the Gallery, 1991
Reference Collection
NPG D3613
Sitterback to top
- Gaby Deslys (Marie-Elise Gabrielle Caire) (1881-1920), Actress and dancer. Sitter in 60 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Photographer, designer and writer. Artist or producer associated with 1114 portraits, Sitter associated with 360 portraits.
This portraitback to top
This drawing depicts her in her role as the Charm of Paris in The New Aladdin (1906), showing 'how the fair Parisienne walks, sings and dances'. A line-drawing of it was reproduced in The Book of Beauty (1930) where Beaton sang her praises: 'a marvellous creature, of brilliantine and brilliance, and Christmas-tree tinsel...it was impossible to look at anyone else when she was on the stage'.
Events of 1930back to top
Current affairs
Amy Johnson is the first woman to fly solo to Australia. She flew the 11,000 miles from Croydon to Darwin in a De Havilland Gipsy Moth named Jason and won the Harmon Trophy as well as a CBE for her achievement. She went on to break a number of other flying records, and died while serving in the Air Transport Auxiliary in 1941.Art and science
Noel Coward's play, Private Lives is first performed. The original run starred Gertrude Lawrence and Laurence Olivier as well as Coward himself. Private Lives became Coward's most enduringly successful play.International
Gandhi leads the Salt March. The march to the coast was a direct protest against the British monopoly on the sale of salt and inspired hordes of Indians to follow him and adopt his methods of Satyagraha (non-violent resistance to the British rule of India).Stalin orders the 'liquidation of the kulaks (wealthy farmers) as a class' in a violent attempt to centralise control of agriculture and collectivise farming.
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