With this 1897 illustrated program, Henri Lebasque contributed to one of the great artistic experiments of fin-de-siècle Paris — the radical, introspective world of the Théâtre de l’Œuvre, founded by Aurélien Lugné-Poe. Far from the ornate theaters of the boulevards, L’Œuvre was a crucible for Symbolist drama and a platform where painting and performance met in perfect synchrony.
Lebasque — later known for his luminous post-Impressionist canvases — brought a subtle but distinctly modern sensibility to this work. His cover for the double bill “Le Fils de l’Abbesse” and “Le Fardeau de la Liberté” reflects the psychological depth and quiet tension of these plays. Eschewing theatrical flamboyance, the composition embraces restrained color, lyrical linework, and a quiet, contemplative atmosphere — in tune with Symbolist aesthetics.
The typography and layout preserve the artisanal spirit that defined these programs: handcrafted, personal, almost devotional in tone. Lebasque’s illustration doesn't merely announce a performance — it invites the viewer into a private emotional landscape, where themes of liberty, moral burden, and familial legacy are explored with philosophical weight.
This rare program belongs to a short but electrifying moment in French theater, when visual artists became scenographers, and the poster, the program, and the stage shared a common visual and ideological language. As such, it stands as a delicate but powerful relic of Parisian avant-garde collaboration — a bridge between the salons of Montmartre and the literary revolutions unfolding under the spotlights of L’Œuvre.
Theater - Avant-Garde - France
Criticism
Printed by Eugène Verneau in Paris
Good condition
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