Design for a Stage Set at the Opéra, Paris: "Trattoria di Parigi" 1830 - 1890

This stage set design, "Trattoria di Parigi", was created by Eugène Cicéri in Paris, using graphite and watercolor on paper. Cicéri, a master of theatrical design, employs traditional drawing techniques here, but not for a conventional purpose. This is a blueprint, of sorts, for an immersive experience, a fleeting illusion. The gridlines speak to a process of scaling up, translating the intimacy of the drawing into a large-scale construction. Consider the labor implied, not just in Cicéri’s hand, but in the many hands that would bring this vision to life: carpenters, painters, riggers, all contributing to the spectacle. The Trattoria itself, a humble Parisian restaurant, is elevated to the status of high artifice. The drawing is not just an image, but a plan for collective work, a reminder that even the most ephemeral artistic experiences are rooted in material production and social collaboration. It challenges us to look beyond the surface, to see the web of human effort behind the shimmering facade.