Original Drawing By Alessandro Sanquirico—mythological Scene—fantastic Cave—la Scala In Milan—1830

Set design sketch executed in watercolor by Alessandro Sanquirico for the Teatro alla Scala between 1820 and 1830.

This spectacular composition depicts a mythological scene in the Pompeian style, set in a vast cave filled with waterfalls, serpents on the caduceus, Neptune’s horses, sirens, and cherubs riding dolphins and swans.

Here, Sanquirico displays all the decorative refinement and fantastical imagination that made him famous in the major Milanese opera productions of the early 19th century. The illusionistic architecture, aquatic effects, and mythological figures create a theatrical world blending an idealized vision of Antiquity, a seascape, and Romantic fantasy.

The ornamentation’s richness, along with references to Pompeian antiquity, reflect the era’s pronounced fascination with ancient civilizations and Italian archaeological discoveries.

Alessandro Sanquirico began his career collaborating with several artists, including Paolo Landriani, Giovanni Pedroni, Giovanni Perego, and Giorgio Fuentes. He studied architecture and perspective under Giuseppe Piermarini, architect of La Scala in Milan.

Between 1818 and 1832, Sanquirico dominated the visual style of La Scala and created more than three hundred sets for the great Italian operas of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. His creations had a profound impact on the aesthetics of Italian Romantic theater.

Biography

Alessandro Sanquirico was born in 1777 and became one of the most important Italian theater set designers of the 19th century.

Trained in architecture and perspective, he developed a spectacular body of work inspired by classical antiquity as well as Eastern, medieval, and fantastical architectural styles.

As the principal set designer at La Scala in Milan for nearly fifteen years, he created more than three hundred sets for the greatest Italian operas of his time, including those by Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. His work remains today one of the pinnacles of 19th-century European set design.

Good overall condition.

20 x 25 cm

Sold with its certificate of authenticity.