Artwork

Theater Program for Sleeping Beauty, Silver Wedding, and Ahasvère

Theater Program for Sleeping Beauty, Silver Wedding, and Ahasvère is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri-Gabriel Ibels. It dates from 1893 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Theater Program for Sleeping Beauty, Silver Wedding, and Ahasvère is a color lithograph on wove paper created by Henri-Gabriel Ibels in 1893.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a dimly lit theater scene with four figures: two women in the front row, one reading a program, and a man leaning forward with a cane, while another man stands behind them. The somber atmosphere and the characters' subdued expressions convey a sense of quiet contemplation.

Technique & Style

Ibels employed bold colors and rough lines to rapidly capture the scene, resulting in somewhat flat, sketch-like facial features, characteristic of late 19th-century printmaking styles.

History & Provenance

This proof before letters is held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.