Style Egyptian / Ref.16077
Amonasro and Aida, Italian tapestries
Dimensions
Width 55'' ⅛ 140cm
Height 109'' ½ 278cm
Origin:
Italy, after 1871
Alongside the festivities that marked the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869, the Viceroy of Egypt Ismail Pasha endowed Cairo with an opera house, thereby placing the Egyptian capital on the same cultural footing as the great European cities. Wishing to stage an ancient and grandiose production, he called upon Verdi and the Egyptologist Auguste Mariette to conceive the historical epic Aida (1871). The costume designs by Eugène Lacoste, preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, make it possible to identify the figures in our tapestry as Amonasro, King of Ethiopia, and his daughter Aida. The figures are framed by decorative motifs evoking ancient Egypt (reeds, papyrus, lotus flowers, feathers and fans) and are perched upon a sphinx.
This type of ornamentation is quite characteristic of the Egyptomania of the late nineteenth century. Celebrated for its reconstruction of ancient Egypt through its grandiose sets and splendid costumes, this opera enjoyed immense success throughout Europe. As our tapestry attests, certain characters, having become iconic, passed from the stage into the decorative arts.
Informations
Price: on request
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