The theme of the Parisian Carnival masked balls at the Opera became synonymous with the nineteenth-century French graphic artist Guillaume Sulpice Chevalier, known as Gavarni (1804--1866). Between 1830 and 1853, he produced more than two hundred lithographs of the subject, which usually appeared in the contemporary popular press. These depictions and their telling captions---snippets of actual conversations---evoke the essential esprit of the occasion. A compelling visual chronicle emerges from Gavarni's imagery of the Opera masked balls, which uniquely captures the contemporary manners and mores of Parisian society. This dissertation is a close visual analysis of Gavarni's treatment of the phenomenon, which draws upon contemporary literary accounts to substantiate and elucidate the meanings of his prints. / The Opera masked balls were a veritable institution of Parisian life, held virtually without interruption for two hundred years, from their inception in the Regence until the First World War. Once the exclusive realm of the aristocracy, they became popular annual divertissements for all classes of society during the 1840s. At this time, the period of Gavarni's artistic maturity, the masked balls reached the popularity of a cult. / The study begins with a historical summary of the evolution of the masked balls from 1715 to the period of the July Monarchy (1830--1848), when Gavarni became their quintessential observer. Comparative treatment of the subject by other artists, such as Eugene Lami, Henri Valentin, Cham, and Edouard Manet, is also included. / Gavarni's work is distinctive in its disclosure of the dynamics of the social relationships, the ambience, and the demeanour of the festivities. They are explicitly defined in the personal encounters and private moments. The candour and inherent elegance of his vision, the refinement of his draftsmanship, and the impartiality of his moral stance are among the virtuoso qualities of his compositions. Moreover, the costumes Gavarni created expressly for the masked balls were a critical influence on the Carnival celebrations. Executed with a rare sensitivity and penetrating insight, Gavarni's pictorial legacy is a profound evocation of the tenor of the times, and a distinguished contribution to French art and culture.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.37569 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | Bronfman, Beverly. |
| Contributors | Kiefer, Carol Solomon (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Art History.) |
| Rights | © Beverly Bronfman, 1999 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001655503, proquestno: NQ50118, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest., Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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