Design for a Stage Set at the Opéra, Paris
1830–90
Medium
Graphite
Dimensions
Irregular sheet: 10 3/8 x 4 1/2 in. (26.4 x 11.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.529.38
Tags
Art Historical Context
Eugène Cicéri'sDesign for a Stage Set the Opéra, Paris captures the grandeur of 19th-century theater during the Romantic era. Active from the 1830s to 1890s, Cicéri was a master scenic designer whose intricate drawings brought operas and ballets to life at the Paris Opéra. This graphite sketch, on an irregular 10 3/8 x 4 1/2 in. sheet, likely served as a preliminary concept for one of the venue's lavish productions, evoking the opulent architectural fantasies that defined the period's stagecraft. Rendered in graphite—a favored medium for its precision and portability— the drawing exemplifies ...
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...