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BEAUMARCHAIS. COLLECTION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY DRAWINGS, dep…
See original version (French)
BEAUMARCHAIS. COLLECTION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY DRAWINGS, dep…
See original version (French)
Voluntary lot
Description
BEAUMARCHAIS.
COLLECTION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY DRAWINGS, depicting scenes from the "Marriage of Figaro". No place or date (circa 1785), in-4, red morocco, spine decorated with gilt fillets, compartments of gilt fillets framing the boards, blue morocco lining decorated with a large gilt lace, blue moire endpapers, gilt edges (David).
Collection of six pen-and-ink drawings, enhanced with sepia, mounted on white cardboard in oval glomy frames.
SAINT-QUENTIN's original drawings for "Le Mariage de Figaro" are known to be in the Comédie-Française library.
As for the present sketches, they bear a strong resemblance to most of those executed by the actor DUBLIN, a resident of the Théâtre-Français at the end of the eighteenth century, who, following an accident, became a stage costume designer. They were probably intended for one of the first performances. We can see the actor DES ESSARTS (as Bartholo), whose obesity led to a duel with his friend DAZINCOURT (Figaro), as well as PREVILLE, who felt he was too old for the role of Figaro and took on that of Brid'oison, and finally MOLE (as Count Almaviva), whose face bears a close resemblance to the known portraits. The handwritten captions accompanying two drawings are from the period, perhaps in the hand of DELAPORTE, secretary of the Théâtre-Français for a very long time and until the Revolution. They are not entirely consistent with the printed text. One of the scenes (Act I, scene 10) does not exist in SAINT-QUENTIN's suite. The others often differ significantly from the engravings in the work.
A COLLECTION OF GREAT INTEREST FOR THE HISTORY OF THEATRE AND STAGE COSTUMES.
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See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Lot description modified on 05/15/2026 at 12:42 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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