Omslag voor acht prenten met programma's van theatervoorstellingen van het Théâtre Libre 1892 - 1893

Curator: Here we have an intriguing piece, a cover for eight prints advertising the program for various theatrical productions at the Théâtre Libre. Henri-Gabriel Ibels created this lithograph somewhere between 1892 and 1893. Editor: It's certainly arresting. The first thing that jumps out is the figure of the stooped man, his gesture, combined with the rather bleak, wooden doorway or cell... gives an impression of despair. It makes you wonder what stories the plays told. Curator: I think you're onto something there. The figure is actually a portrait, or silhouette, of André Antoine. Ibels presents Antoine, director of the Théâtre Libre, in character from Gerhart Hauptmann's play "The Weavers." It makes me think about the weight of performance, of embodying these intense stories. Editor: The weight is palpable. And there’s a fascinating duality, isn’t there? A theatrical director in character but caught within the "theatre" itself, represented by this raw, wooden construction. The Art Nouveau lettering hints at a certain flamboyance, but the overall mood is somber, muted, even oppressive. Curator: Ibels frequently used lithography for posters, announcements, that sort of thing. Given the nature of the Thêatre Libre as an experimental stage, this choice of artwork is quite apt. There is something incredibly direct, yet vulnerable, about this depiction of Antoine, and of the stories being told on stage. Editor: Absolutely. And it's worth noting how the limited color palette, predominantly browns and blues, reinforces that sense of bleakness. It almost anticipates the stark realism that would become a defining characteristic of 20th-century drama. There is this kind of symbolic enclosure too, maybe of new avantgarde performance trapped or stuck between old dramatic frameworks, so that this all new approach doesn't look, you know, as light, liberating, or progressive. Curator: Well, seeing the way it all interacts, it reminds me that even promotion can be an art, especially when capturing complex artistic vision. Editor: I see that as well. Makes me think of that interplay between the artist's vision, the theater's daring choices, and the public they hoped to entice.