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

Curator: Eugène Cicéri, a name perhaps not instantly familiar, worked on this stage set design sometime between 1830 and 1890. It's currently residing here at the Met. Editor: My first thought? Dreamy. But also... a little haunted? I mean, that solitary tree dominating the composition feels like it’s whispering secrets. And what is it guarding, or escaping? Curator: It's fascinating you pick up on that emotional resonance. Landscape painting in the 19th century became entwined with ideas of national identity and the sublime. Here, Cicéri's composition and the Romantic style serve to invoke feelings of both awe and perhaps anxiety towards the natural world. Editor: Anxiety, yes! Definitely. I feel that creeping in from those shadowy, inky washes. It’s not exactly a comforting walk in the woods; there’s an otherworldliness to it. Do you think the abstraction pushes this otherworldly mood? Curator: I do. This particular study also provides insight into stagecraft conventions. One can appreciate how watercolor, ink, and charcoal combine to portray an imagined spatiality intended for a theatre production, inviting us to think about the artist’s aesthetic decisions concerning how constructed, yet natural, spaces can be. This makes the artwork a reflection of both the natural world and the theatrical. Editor: So true. Makes me wonder what stories would unfold in front of that backdrop. The drawing itself has a life of its own now. I almost forget it was a template. Curator: It definitely prompts considerations beyond pure aesthetics, pointing toward the socio-political and historical context within which theatre became, during the 19th century, a place of social exchange, especially regarding nationhood. It's the magic of material culture to convey stories beyond what is literally represented. Editor: It’s funny; seeing the raw underpainting makes me consider all the choices the artist was making while staring at this moody tree! Beautiful design, anyway, for something designed to be ephemeral!