Stage Set Design for a Ballet: Don Parasol 1869

Editor: So, this is Carlo Ferrario's stage set design for "Don Parasol," created around 1869. It's a mixed media piece including drawing, colored pencil, watercolor, and even some print elements. I'm struck by the theatricality of it all – it feels so opulent. What do you make of the symbolism in such a design? Curator: Well, beyond the immediate sense of lavishness, let's consider the individual symbols at play. Think about the swags of fabric. The architectural details are clearly drawing from classical motifs with their references to wealth and power. These were very intentionally designed. Ask yourself, what did “grandeur” signify in the cultural memory of the late 19th century? Editor: That makes sense. I see these repeating cherubic figures too - what do they suggest? Curator: Yes, notice those figures. How do they inform your impression of the intended ballet? How does the artist use color, line and composition to guide our gaze to specific ideas and shape our understanding of the themes inherent within Don Parasol? Editor: I guess the cherubs alongside all of the gold accents definitely elevate it, creating a heavenly or aspirational atmosphere that goes hand-in-hand with romantic ballet, and I am definitely interested in looking for similar recurring images in works from this time. Thanks for making that connection! Curator: My pleasure! It’s through noticing those repetitions, across artworks and throughout time, that the ongoing resonance of symbols becomes clear.