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

This stage set design for the Paris Opéra was rendered by Eugène Cicéri using graphite on paper. The grid underneath the drawing, along with the faint lines, reveal an interesting process of planning for a stage backdrop. The very nature of theater design, with its need for precision and planning, is hinted at here. Notice the mathematical notations, as well as the cut out shapes on the bottom, perhaps to fit specific models of the stage. Cicéri had a successful career designing stage sets. His work offers us an intriguing glimpse into the material processes of nineteenth-century theatre production. When we look at Cicéri's drawing, the use of graphite and paper may seem like a minor aspect. Yet, it's through these materials, and the labor of drawing, that the spectacular illusions of the Opéra came to life.