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ACTUALITÉ
Restoration of the Diaghilev Bust
19 May 2026
Author :
Direction des Affaires Culturelles
MOVABLE HERITAGE
The bust of Sergei Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes, was restored in February 2026 by the Heritage Institute. The sculpture by artist Paul Belmondo continues to face the Opéra Garnier, where the Ballets Russes company performed before the Ballets de Monte Carlo dance there today.
Serge Diaghilev & the Ballets Russes
Creator of the Ballets Russes, Sergei Diaghilev made a major contribution to the development of modern dance in the twentieth century, and his original vision of ballet revolutionised the codes of choreographic art whilst advancing the role of women in this field.
An artist of Russian nationality born in 1872, he permanently exiled himself to Paris when Lenin's Soviet regime came to power in 1917. His cooperation with the French public, initiated in 1906 first with several art exhibitions, continues. It was in Paris that he founded the Ballets Russes company in 1907.
The Ballets Russes & Monte-Carlo
His French success encouraged him to develop his company. He permanently separated from the Russian Imperial Ballet, for which he had worked for nearly a decade, and made his company an independent private troupe. The latter performed in Monte-Carlo, Paris and London, and Diaghilev programmed a varied range of creations. He worked in close collaboration with talented composers and choreographers of the period, and associated many artist-painters with the sets and costumes of his productions, including Sonia and Robert Delaunay, Pablo Picasso, Marie Laurencin, Natalia Gontcharova and Gabrielle Chanel.
The Diaghilev Bust Sculpture
The bust of Sergei Diaghilev, a sculpture created by French artist Paul Belmondo in 1973, is located on the terraces of the Monte-Carlo Casino. This work, belonging to the collections of the Société des Bains de Mer of Monaco, situated near the famous opera house where Diaghilev's company performed, was restored on 16 February by the Heritage Institute. Exposed outdoors and to its climatic vicissitudes, the work presented good structural condition but degraded surface condition. A patinated bronze sculpture, oxidation had developed due to its method of exposure and manifested itself in the form of verdigris corrosion, uniformly and sometimes in the form of stains or streaks.
A Multi-Step Restoration
To restore the work to its original condition, a multi-step treatment was decided upon. First, sanding and brushing of the work's surface took place, after which it was rinsed. As a crucial step, hot patination was applied, a method better suited to outdoor installation, before the application of wax which would serve as an interface to natural vicissitudes to protect the bronze. Finally, the surface was entirely burnished to bring a glossy and uniform finish to the sculpture. Thanks to this treatment, the work recovered good conservation condition, good legibility and uniform aesthetics. Due to its outdoor exposure, however, it requires regular maintenance. Annual cleaning and waxing will keep it in good condition. As for its marble base, this was consolidated and the lettering re-gilded.
© 2026 La Réserve
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