Antique Marie Taglioni (1804-1884) Framed Set Portrait Print & Handwritten Letter 1870s

Famous Italian ballerina of the Romantic ballet era, and a central figure in the history of European dance.

Print from 1833 Paris Le Charivari, the daily French satirical newspaper. 

ALS Signed Handwritten in ink Correspondence Letter with intersecting mailing folds.

Back of frame hand written translation: Sir, I hope you will be good enough to spend next Sunday evening, December 29th with me. It will be an evening of..........and completly without ceremony. Accept my sincere regards, Taglioni.

AI Translation: Sir, I learn that you are pleased to be part of this year's Artistic Association. Already is it a pleasure to learn that others are doing the same, entirely apart from everything else, so to speak......Please accept my earnest regards. December 22 M. Taglioni

The most celebrated member of the Taglioni dynasty, Marie Taglioni made her Milanese debut in 1841, when she appeared at La Scala in her father Filippo's ballet La Gitana (1838), the story of a girl abducted as a child by Gypsies. Born in Stockholm in 1804, Marie was her father's pupil and protegée. His rigorous teaching instilled strength as well as the lightness and fluidity that defined her unique gifts and the attributes of Romantic style. Although Amalia Brugnoli had worked on pointe, it was Marie, with her ethereal, virginal grace, exemplified in her father's ballet La Sylphide (1832), who made this technique a cornerstone of the expressive universe of ballet Romanticism, and was her most famous performance.

After retiring  from dancing, Taglioni moved to London and Paris to teach social dance and ballet to upper-class society. Her later letters are written on small stationary, in this identical, light cursive hand. 

Great antique condition. Frame and matte showing some wear. Frame missing backing on back. Print has ghosting of faint background text lines, common in the 19th Century. Some foxing on portrait print. Normal wear for age.