And in the same year, due to the growing popularity of Baker, Colin organised a very large event called "Bal Nègre", which was attended by about 3000 Parisians. The success of this event, accompanied by a growing public frenzy for Baker's music and dancing, prompted Colin to create Le nomte Noir in 1929 as a celebration of this grand phenomenon. Baker is portrayed twice in this series of works. In one painting she is wearing a dress made of palm leaves and in the other she is wearing the famous banana yellow dress introduced at the Folies-Bergère concert hall in 1926. These works were intended as a tribute to Josephine Baker and other African American actors. They attracted the attention of the Parisian public during the années folles. Colin's vivid colours and lines demonstrate the extraordinary talent of these dancers and musicians, and his sketches express the Parisian fascination with all things black.
