Costume de Paquita dans la Reine d'Espagne

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century French ballet with Eugène Louis Lami *Costume de Paquita dans Reine d'Espagne* (1831), a lithograph capturing the elaborate attire of the character Paquita from the theatrical production *La Reine d'Espagne*.ami, a master of Romantic lithography, specialized in evoking the glamour of Parisian stages, blending fashion, dance, and fantasy in his prints. This sheet, measuring 27.5 x 20.4 cm, showcases the intricate details of Paquita's costume—likely a nod to Spanish-inspired exoticism popular in Romantic-era spectacles. Created during lithography's golden age, when the medium revolutionized printmaking by allowing artists to draw directly on stone for nuanced tones and textures, Lami's work served as both artistic souvenir and promotional tool for the Opéra de Paris. In 1831, France buzzed with the rise of Romantic ballet, featuring ethereal dancers in opulent, historically flavored garb that blurred reality and reverie. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Prints department (gift of Frank Anderson Trapp), this piece offers a window into the cultural fervor of the July Monarchy, where theater costumes embodied national pride and escapist allure. A charming testament to Lami's skill, it invites visitors to imagine the swish of skirts amid footlights and applause.