Design for a Stage Set at the Opéra, Paris 1830 - 1890

This stage set design was made by Eugène Cicéri for the Paris Opéra, using graphite and watercolor on paper. It may seem distant from the social realities of 19th-century France, but bear with me. The rough paper has a quality that echoes the ruined structure depicted, a mill or large house, its timbers splayed out. Cicéri's rapid strokes capture the scene's transience, a moment of decay. See how the watercolor is thinly applied, barely tinting the paper, suggesting a world in flux? The drawing bears traces of its intended use, a series of triangular cut-outs along the bottom edge, a guide for technicians to realize the design in three dimensions. Stage design of this kind involved industrial scale labor and production in order to conjure up a fleeting illusion for the entertainment of the opera-going public. So, while the image may seem to be an escape into fantasy, it was in fact made possible by very real work.