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

Eugène Cicéri rendered this stage set design for the Paris Opéra with graphite on paper. The drawing presents a symmetrical fountain, its tiered structure rising centrally against a muted background. Observe the fountain's formal architecture: a rectangular base, with a profusion of decorative sculptural elements, culminating in a large, ornate bowl. Cicéri's meticulous use of line and shading creates an illusion of depth and texture, animating the inanimate. The design showcases a classical aesthetic, typical of operatic stagecraft, yet the sketch-like quality infuses it with a sense of the provisional and incomplete. Consider how the design invites us to question the relationships between artifice and nature, stagecraft and reality. The fountain, as a structure, is both a self-contained object and a component of a larger theatrical illusion. This interplay highlights the artwork's engagement with broader cultural codes of spectacle, inviting us to deconstruct the layers of representation inherent in theatrical design.