Uitnodiging en programma voor de opera 'Simon Boccanegra' in het Theatre Italien c. 1838 - 1905

This is an invitation and program designed by Jules Adolphe Chauvet for a performance of Verdi’s opera, Simon Boccanegra, at the Théâtre Italien in Paris. Note the grand architectural proscenium arch framing the announcement, complete with an allegorical figure in the clouds, and putti posing as statues. All of this gives you a sense of the spectacle that was Italian opera in mid-19th-century Paris, and an insight into the cultural institutions of the time. The Théâtre Italien was central to the social life of the French capital, a place where the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie came to see and be seen. This was a time of great social change in France. The Revolution was less than a century before, and class tensions were still high. The arts were a way for the elite to display their wealth and taste, but they were also a source of social commentary and critique. To understand this image better, we might research the history of the Théâtre Italien, or study the social history of opera in 19th-century Paris. The art historian is interested in how artworks like this one reflect the social and institutional contexts in which they were made.