Mme Ida Rubinstein, Saint Sebastian.—The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.
Orphaned at a young age, Ida Rubinstein (1885–1960), who converted to Orthodox Christianity (and later to Roman Catholicism), used her Jewish family’s banking money to set herself in scene, through dance, as a mythical princess-like figure. The Italian poet (and subsequent fascist) Gabriele D’Annunzio provided the text for The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, Debussy the music. Mikhail Fokine choreographed, and the set and costumes were designed by the Jewish painter Léon Bakst (Leib Haim Rosenberg, 1866–1924).
Generations of scholars, enthusiasts and journalists have passed down the claim that Léon-Adolphe Amette, the archbishop of Paris, banned Catholics from attending the performances specifically because Saint Sebastian was embodied by a bisexual Jewish woman in the production. It is entirely possible, likely even, that all this contributed to his misgivings, but Amette did not in fact give any specific reasons to explain why (proper) Catholics should stay away.
Mme Ida Rubinstein, Saint Sebastian.—The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.—Chatelet. Le Théatre, 1 June 1911 (original size: 27.2 x 35 cm).
Antique print from the book: Jews in Old Postcards and Print