Design for a Stage Set 1830 - 1890

Eugène Cicéri created this stage set design with graphite and watercolor, during a time when Paris was the center of theatrical innovation and spectacle. Consider this image within the context of 19th-century French colonialism. Stage designs like this often depicted exoticized "other" lands, reflecting and reinforcing the imperialist fantasies of the time. The idyllic coastal scene, with its blend of European-style buildings and tropical vegetation, suggests a romanticized vision of a far-off, perhaps colonized, land. This imagined geography served to entertain audiences, but also perpetuated a certain power dynamic. How does the picturesque quality of the scene mask the realities of colonial exploitation and cultural appropriation? Think about how stage designs like this contributed to a collective imagination that both romanticized and dominated non-Western cultures. Notice how the artist uses soft watercolor washes to evoke a sense of distance and fantasy, inviting viewers to escape into a world far removed from their own. It’s in this constructed space that narratives of identity and power were carefully staged.