Design for a Stage Set at the Opéra, Paris
1840–90
Medium
Graphite
Dimensions
sheet: 10 11/16 x 19 3/16 in. (27.1 x 48.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Henry T. Curtis, 1953
Accession Number
53.668.208
Tags
Art Historical Context
Eugène Cicéri’s graphite drawing offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind 19th-century Parisian theater. Created sometime between 1840 and 1890 as a design for the Opéra, sheet captures the planning of a wooded stage set, with delicate lines suggesting trees and natural scenery that would have been realized on a grand scale. Such preparatory sketches were essential tools for scenographers, allowing artists to experiment with perspective, lighting effects, and spatial depth before sets were constructed from wood, canvas, and paint. During this period, the Paris Opéra was at the h...
About the Artist
Eugène Cicéri · 1813–1890
Étienne Eugène Cicéri (1813-1890) was a French painter, lithographer, and theatrical designer who became a notable figure in the Barbizon School movement. Born in Paris on January 27, 1813, into an illustrious artistic family, he was the son of renowned scenographer Pierre-Luc-Charles Cicéri and the nephew of painter Eugène Isabey. Cicéri occupies an important position in 19th-century French land...