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.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower center in image: H.G. Ibels

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.