Artwork
Melle Zina Richard,
Melle Zina Richard, 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. This print, created around 1860, depicts a scene from the ballet Marco Spada.
About this work
This one had bandits, love mix-ups, and a stage trick that lifted thirty people to reveal a hidden cavern below.
This print shows a scene from the ballet *Marco Spada*, created around 1860. It’s part of the Impressionist and Realist movements, blending lively theater with everyday life.
The print was made at a time when Paris Opera ballets loved wild plots. This one had bandits, love mix-ups, and a stage trick that lifted thirty people to reveal a hidden cavern below.
The ballet’s wild magic made dancers carry charms to avoid bad luck. Check out more prints by Alophe, Marie-Alexandre at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This print, created around 1860, depicts a scene from the ballet Marco Spada. It is a representation of a performance that took place at the Paris Opera in 1857.
Subject & Meaning
The ballet's narrative featured bandits, kidnapped heroines, and romantic entanglements, with a notable stage effect where the entire stage was lifted to reveal an underground cavern. The print captures Zina Richard in costume, highlighting her role in the production.
Technique & Style
The print is associated with the Impressionist and Realist movements, which often incorporated elements of everyday life and theater. Zina Richard's costume, with its low-necked bodice and bell-shaped skirt, follows a conventional dancer's attire.
History & Provenance
Marco Spada was performed at the Paris Opera in 1857, with the print created a few years later. The ballet was notable for its complex storyline and technical effects, and was likely documented in prints to commemorate its production.
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…
