Design for a Stage Set
19th century
Medium
Graphite, brush and gray wash, heightened with white on blue paper
Dimensions
sheet: 7 1/2 x 9 3/16 in. (19.1 x 23.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.837.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Design for a Stage Set created by an anonymous French artist in 19th century, a glimpse into the theatrical imagination of the era. Rendered on blue paper—a popular choice for evoking atmospheric skies or architectural depth—the drawing measures a modest 7 1/2 x 9 3/16 inches. It belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, highlighting its enduring value among preparatory works for the stage. In 19th-century France, theater flourished with grand operas, ballets, and plays at venues like the Paris Opéra, where elaborate scenery created illusions of ...
About the Artist
Anonymous, French, 19th century · 1800–1900
**Anonymous, French, 19th Century (ca. 1800–1900)** The artist cataloged as Anonymous, French, 19th century embodies the enigmatic yet essential contributions of unidentified creators to France's vibrant 19th-century art world. Active roughly between 1800 and 1900, this figure—or potentially collective workshop—produced a diverse array of works amid the nation's transition from Neoclassicism thro...