Design for a Stage Set at the Opéra, Paris
1840–90
Medium
Graphite
Dimensions
Irregular sheet: 11 13/16 x 13 15/16 in. (30 x 35.4 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
53.668.206
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Eugène Cicéri’s graphite drawing offers a fascinating glimpse into the elaborate world of nineteenth-century French theater. Active during the height of Romanticism, Cicéri came from a distinguished family of designers and specialized in creating scenic backdrops for the Paris Opéra, one of Europe’s most prestigious stages. This sheet, produced between 1840 and 1890, served as a working design for a stage set featuring architectural elements, helping directors and performers visualize the spatial drama of an opera or ballet before construction began. Rendered in graphite on an irregular sheet...
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...