This original 1989 poster was produced for the opening celebrations of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre. It announces the November 6 gala performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio by the Cologne Opera, presented as an Urban Council project with the support of the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Opera and Music.
The poster reproduces Olivier Debré’s design for the Grand Theatre’s monumental stage curtain, presented by Louis Vuitton as a gift to the people of Hong Kong. Measuring approximately 15 by 9 metres, the completed curtain was installed in 1989 as part of the new cultural venue. Debré travelled to China while developing the composition, seeking to respond to the country’s visual traditions and cultural symbolism.
A luminous yellow field dominates the image, punctuated by sweeping passages of red, white, green and violet. Yellow—traditionally associated with imperial China—gives the work its radiant atmosphere, while the bold red accents evoke the ceremonial energy of the stage. The expressive brushwork creates a sense of movement that contrasts elegantly with the poster’s refined, understated typography.
Olivier Debré was a major figure in postwar French abstraction and is closely associated with lyrical abstraction. His work explored the emotional and spatial qualities of colour, often on a monumental scale. This commission transformed one of his gestural paintings into an architectural artwork conceived to animate the Grand Theatre whenever the curtain was lowered.
Combining modern French art, operatic history, Hong Kong’s cultural development and Louis Vuitton patronage, this original poster documents an exceptional international commission. Its powerful colour, elegant layout and important historical context make it a particularly appealing piece for collectors of modern art, performing-arts posters and late-20th-century graphic design.
Original Poster
Opera - Fashion - Haute Couture
Hong Kong Cultural Center Grand Théatre - Opening Gala Fidelio Beethoven - Cologne Opera
Good condition
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