The Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco is showing some thirty paintings by Domenico Monteforte from June 10 to August 20. The landscapes featured are in oils, some even painted on musical scores of Puccini. Monteforte is friends with conductor Nicola Luisotti, this fact being the impetus for an exhibition in San Francisco.
In Act I of Three Decembers, we become acquainted with renowned stage actress Madeline Mitchell, and her two rather unhappy children.
In his Latin Quarter garret, Rodolfo contrives to hold the hand of Mimì. This is from Act I of La Bohème, naturally.
This is the sixth scene of Act II from L'elisir d'amore. The village girls have taken an interest in Nemorino, piquing the jealousy of Adina.
This is the fifth scene from Boris Godunov. Boris, portrayed by Samuel Ramey, has just thrown himself to the ground in an agressive manner.
This painting is on display until March 11th at Squat and Gobble in Lower Haight (237 Fillmore), along with several other cupcake opera paintings.
This is the finale of Act II from Idomeneo. In the background we have a looming, four-headed horse monster sent by Neptune.
Here we have Act II Scene 2 of Die Tote Stadt. Frank is singing about Marietta to the horrified Paul. I believe the person who sings the roles of Frank and Fritz has a very stressful quick costume change just after this scene.
Though the Fall portion of the San Francisco Opera season is half over, I'm still slowly working my way through an opera cupcake painting project based on what we've seen so far. This is a rendering of Act II Scene 2 of The Bonesetter's Daughter. Precious Cupcake was the most fun to paint, for obvious reasons.
Details of Painting | Performance Review of The Bonesetter's Daughter
As threatened, I've finally gotten around to combining opera and cupcakes. This is a depiction of Act II Scene 2 of the Simon Boccanegra that opened the San Francisco Opera season. I'll have you know that it took longer to write out those few bars of music than to paint the rest of the scene here.
Details of Painting | Performance Review of Simon Boccanegra
In the Loge, 1878
Mary Stevenson Cassatt, American, 1844–1926
81.28 x 66.04 cm (32 x 26 in.)
Oil on canvas
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
I've never thought too much of Impressionism in general or Cassatt in particular, but this opera painting did catch my attention on a recent jaunt over to Boston. The painting compares favorably to Renoir's La Loge (1874), the woman in Cassatt's painting seems more self-possessed, her look less blank than the smiling one in Renoir. Of course, I'm partial, everyone knows I do like a nice hat.
I'm being kept quite busy with non-opera activities, so I present to you an opera painting from 2003. This acrylic on paper work was painted after I had gone to a performance of Händel's Serse at the Bavarian State Opera. It was one of the few times in Munich that I wasn't in standing room. The Königsloge is quite nice, the painting does not capture how shiny it is. This is one of the first paintings I had ever sold.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir's La Loge (1874) sold for more than twice the estimated price of 2.5-3.5 million pounds in London yesterday. The Guardian reports that the picture will be shown at the Courtauld Gallery after all.
A version of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's La Loge (1874) is going on auction at Sotheby's next Tuesday. A larger likeness of Nini and Edmond in a Paris Opera box exists at the at the Courtauld Gallery in London. Interestingly, a special exhibit there entitled "Renoir at the Theatre: Looking at La Loge" begins February 21 and runs until May 25, and they are hoping whomever purchases the small painting will lend it.
I have no memory of this picture at all, though I was at the Courtauld in 1999. The gallery is pleasingly tiny, but it is quite likely I did not even go into the Impressionism and Post-Impressionism rooms. What I remember best is the very fierce looking Fra Angelico Magdalene, flanking an Imago Pietatis.
Should you decide to go, do note that there is a £5 admission fee for adults, but that this covers the special exhibit.
