His androgynous appearance led to him being painted by painters including Jawlensky and Marianne von Werefkin in 1909.

Their 1921 portrait by George Barbier to advertise their work was seen as showing a "mutually complementary androgynous couple" "united in dance" joined together in an act of "artistic creation.

"[2] Their outrageous costumes included wigs made from silver and gold coloured metal, with hats and outfits decorated with flowers and wax fruit.

[3] They married in 1919, and with the financial support of Edith Rockefeller, appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York but without any great success.

[3] They were living in Paris between the wars[3] and in 1933 Émile Vuillermoz recognised their fame when he published his work Clotilde et Alexandre Sakharoff.