Two men in classical armor and two women looking at the mechanical devices on either side of an open courtyard; set design from 'Il Fuoco Eterno' 1674

Mathäus Küsel made this print of a stage design for 'Il Fuoco Eterno'. The print depicts an open courtyard flanked by two monumental structures covered in classical arches. The figures appear to be looking at the mechanical devices set up either side. Made in seventeenth-century Germany, the design is dominated by a tension between classical forms and modern technology. The arches, the armor, and the idealized figures evoke the cultural authority of ancient Greece and Rome. But these are juxtaposed with complex machines suggesting an interest in scientific progress. We can imagine that the devices in the wings were designed to generate special effects for the opera. Stagecraft was a cutting-edge technology at the time, and courtly audiences marveled at elaborate sets and surprising illusions. Researching the history of opera and stage design will reveal more about the cultural significance of this image and the institutions of art that shape its production and reception.