Marie Vassilieff was among the first Russian artists to settle in Paris at the dawn of the 20th century. She arrived in 1905 with the support of a scholarship from Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and by 1910 had founded the Académie Russe, which would be renamed the Académie Vassilieff in 1912. Her studio, which also housed a communal dining room, quickly became a vital hub for the Parisian avant-garde. Regular visitors included Picasso, Léger—who delivered lectures on modern art there in 1913 and 1914—Braque, and Modigliani. Vassilieff moved within the inner circles of modernism’s key figures and actively engaged with the dominant movements of her time, including Cubism, Futurism, and Suprematism.

In the early 1920s, the Swedish Ballet (Ballets Suédois) was founded in Paris by Rolf de Maré in collaboration with choreographer Jean Börlin, inspired by the earlier Ballets Russes. The project was ambitious from the outset, drawing on the talents of leading contemporary composers and artists such as Dardel, Léger, Cocteau, de Chirico, Picabia, and notably, Marie Vassilieff.

In 1917, Vassilieff gave birth to her son Pierre, affectionately known as “Pierrot,” who is tenderly depicted in the painting offered in this auction. Captured at around twelve years of age, Pierrot appears alongside his mother and their cat.