Tableau d’enfer by Erté

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 | Russian-French Tableau d’enfer Signed “Erté” (lower right) Gouache on paper Created for the Opéra de Lyon’s 1961 production of the opera Castor et Pollux, this costume titled Tableau d’enfer or A Hellish Scene was designed for Act 3 of the opera. Castor et Pollux, an 18th-century French tragic opera, draws from the ancient myth of Castor and Pollux, the origin of the Gemini Twins constellation. The narrative centers on Pollux, bestowed with immortality, and his mortal twin, Castor. Castor's demise catalyzes a pivotal moment: Pollux elects to share his own immortality, reawakening his brother while embracing his own mortality. To rescue Castor, Pollux embarks on an underworld odyssey, battling demons and displaying profound love. This ensemble captures the opera's intense emotions, epitomizing themes of sacrifice, affection and the interplay between mortality and immortality. Adorned with a headpiece resembling a bat and serpents coiling around h