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

Eugène Cicéri’s "Design for a Stage Set at the Opéra, Paris," captures a moment of 19th-century theatrical imagination through graphite on paper. The drawing’s vertical composition emphasizes the height and grandeur of the stage, inviting an immediate sense of scale and depth. Cicéri structures the design using a grid. This creates a formal framework that orders the architectural elements of windows, shopfronts, and signage, integrating text as a design element within the architectural structure itself. This technique of combining image and text blurs the boundaries between representation and reality. Notice how the detailed rendering of the building's facade, with its shop displays and window shutters, suggests a bustling Parisian street. It exists as a sign for the theatre's ability to transport its audience to another world. The linear quality and attention to detail throughout the drawing highlight Cicéri’s mastery in capturing the atmosphere of the Opéra, making this design not just a plan, but a portal.