Artwork
Melle Marquet,
Melle Marquet, is a print by the Impressionist artist Marie-Alexandre Alophe. It dates from 1860 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
The ballet was pure French Second Empire fun—bandits, kidnappings, mistaken love, and a grand stage trick where the floor lifted to reveal a hidden cave below.
This print shows a scene from the ballet *Marco Spada*, a lively 1850s Paris Opera show. The artist, Marie-Alexandre Alophe, caught one of its wild moments on paper around 1860.
The ballet was pure French Second Empire fun—bandits, kidnappings, mistaken love, and a grand stage trick where the floor lifted to reveal a hidden cave below.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see this print in their collection.
Overview
This print, created around 1860 by Marie-Alexandre Alophe, captures a dynamic moment from the 1857 Paris Opera ballet *Marco Spada*. The work reflects the ballet's blend of drama, romance, and spectacle characteristic of French Second Empire entertainment.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts Louise Marquet in costume as a character from *Marco Spada*, highlighting the ballet's emphasis on strong female roles. Marquet's attire, including a flat Italian-style headdress, reflects the production's use of national dress elements for visual interest.
Technique & Style
The print may be a lithographic translation of a photograph, a common practice by 1860 to produce larger, hand-coloured images from smaller sepia-toned originals. This technique allowed for wider dissemination of ballet imagery.
History & Provenance
Part of the series *Les Danseuses de l'Opera*, this print is now held in the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection, serving as a visual record of *Marco Spada*'s performers and costumes.
Context
*Marco Spada* was chosen for its two strong female leads, catering to the talents of Carolina Rosati and Amalia Ferraris. The ballet's complex storyline and innovative stage effects, like the rising stage to reveal an underground cavern, were notable.
Artist & collection
Artist
French lithographer who printed theater stars on silky paper in the 1860s. His prints capture ballerinas in *La Sylphide* and *Marco Spada*, Mademoiselle Fiocre in a Florentine drama, and Mademoiselle Plunkett twirling…
