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

Eugène Cicéri created this stage set design for the Paris Opéra using graphite on paper during the 19th century. The Opéra, a cultural institution of great importance in France, was a place where social status was visually performed as much as any opera was performed on stage. Cicéri's design, with its dramatic rocky landscape, speaks to the Romantic era's fascination with nature and the sublime. The grid, which underlies the sketch, reveals the mechanics of stagecraft and the careful planning required to transport audiences into imagined worlds. We might consider how the design, and the opera it was intended for, would have reflected and shaped the cultural values of its time. Understanding Cicéri's work means delving into the archives of the Opéra, exploring set design traditions, and researching the social history of Parisian theatre. Only then can we understand the full significance of this drawing, and the world it helped to create on stage.