Design for a Stage Set at the Opéra, Paris 1825 - 1890

Eugène Cicéri created this stage set design for the Paris Opéra using graphite and watercolor on paper. The composition features a proscenium-like frame, defined by meticulously rendered trees and foliage. The cool graphite tones, accented by subtle watercolor washes, evoke a serene, almost melancholic atmosphere. The artist has carefully constructed a view into a theatrical space, and this invites us to consider how meaning is created through both artifice and illusion. The grid-like structure underlying the drawing reveals Cicéri’s formal approach, reminiscent of structuralist concerns with underlying systems. The use of natural motifs reflects Romanticism, yet the calculated design suggests an engagement with the semiotics of space and representation. The set design becomes a sign, pointing beyond itself to the artificiality of the stage and the constructed nature of our perceptions. Consider how Cicéri’s delicate yet precise rendering blurs the line between the organic and the geometric, challenging our fixed notions of nature and art.