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

Eugène Cicéri created this stage set design for the Paris Opéra on an irregular sheet of paper. Cicéri was a leading set designer during a time when Paris was a cultural center for opera and theater. His designs captured the grandeur and spectacle sought by audiences eager for escapism. The Paris Opéra was not just a place of entertainment, but also a social and political stage, reflecting the values and tastes of the ruling classes. Stage design was therefore not a neutral element, but rather reinforced the power structures of the time. Consider how the set design might have been received by different social classes. For the elite, it was a reflection of their status. For the working class, it offered a temporary escape, but also reinforced their exclusion from the glamorous world on stage. This tiny sketch gives us insight into the world of 19th-century Paris, a world of both dreams and stark social divides.