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drawing of a drawing of a living room with a piano and chairsan image of a piece of cardboard on a white background
Hermitage Fine Art

112 - IRINA STENBERG (1905–1985) Set design sketch for *La Marâtre…
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Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Sale commission
Description
IRINA STENBERG (1905–1985) Set design sketch for *La Marâtre*, a play by Honoré de Balzac, Griboedov Theatre, Tbilisi signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘I. Stenberg 1940’ (bottom right), inscribed in Cyrillic ‘Balzak / Machekha’ (bottom left) watercolour and ink on paper 43 × 30.5 cm Created in 1940. This set design sketch was produced by Irina Stenberg for the 1940 production of Honoré de Balzac’s *La Marâtre* at the A.S. Griboyedov Russian Drama Theatre in Tbilisi, where she worked as a set and costume designer from 1936 to 1956. This production was staged to mark the 90th anniversary of Balzac’s death. Written in 1848, two years before Balzac’s death, *La Marâtre* explores the hidden passions and family tensions that lie beneath the veneer of bourgeois respectability. Balzac himself described the play as a ‘salon drama’, in which apparent calm and domestic harmony gradually give way to destructive emotions. ‘Although the play contains melodramatic elements, it would be a mistake to take these as the starting point for a stage production of *La Marâtre*. To depict, through realistic means, without adding to or altering Balzac’s work, the life of bourgeois society in the first half of the nineteenth century; to reveal its underlying forces and, through a family drama, to bring to light a social drama: this was the mission the Griboyedov Theatre set itself in staging *La Marâtre*. Balzac’s play is remarkably simple and highly concise: not only the characters, but also the plot itself are laid bare. *La Marâtre* offers no pretext for sumptuous sets or spectacular music. Nothing conceals the actors’ weaknesses nor enhances their strengths; they must rely solely on their talent. It is precisely this demand that makes this work such a stimulating challenge for any theatre company. ’ — A. Avgustov, director of the Griboyedov Theatre. At the buyer’s request, we shall be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for information purposes only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.
See original version (French)
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About the sale FINE ART: 19th-century art, Modern and Contemporary art, Eastern European art, Icons
Auction location
Auction time 07/14/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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