Opera Illustrations created exclusively for The Metropolitan Opera
Das Rheingold
Framed inside the golden Ring is Freia, the Goddess of youth and beauty.
To preserve her services in Valhalla the gods seek out the Ring that will shape their own demise.
From: Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Die Walküre
The lovely daughters of the god Wotan assemble on a high mountain, in a moment of leisure before their famous ride. Their task is to escort fallen heros to the realm of the gods. One of these Valkyries, Brünnhilde, will defy her father and be punished for her brazen behavior.
From: Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Siegfried
The young hero, Siegfried, born of the twin children of Wotan, defeats a dragon, capturing the Ring. After braving enchanted fire, he finds a warrior asleep and cuts away the armour, revealing Brünnhilde's feminine form. She will awake in a moment and meet the eyes of her beloved hero.
From: Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Götterdämmerung
Destruction and rebirth herald the end of an age. In the sky, flames from the funeral pyre of Siegfried will consume Valhalla. It is the end of the gods, and the discarded weapons and armour of the heros sinks to the bottom of the Rhine. In the overflowing river, the Ring is restored to the Rhinemaidens in triumph.
From: Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Tosca
Puccini's dramatic heroine, Tosca, framed by the statue on the top of the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Lulu
Inspired by Alban Berg’s stylish score and Art Deco period illustration.
The alluring Lulu gazes languidly, surrounded by a riot of pearls and colour.
Opera Illustrations created exclusively for The Seattle Opera
Don Quixote
Cervantes’ endearing and tragic hero, Don Quixote, has long captured hearts and minds. The magic of his imagination is captivating, and his hope infectious.
Madame Butterfly
Cio Cio San is illuminated in swirls, delicate flowers, and butterflies in a design inspired by the traditional master of Japanese printing Hiroshige, and, of course, Art Nouveau from compser Giacomo Puccini's contemporaries.
Tristan und Isolde
Doomed celtic Wagnerian lovers set sail on an epic tragic romance.
Inspired by Wagner’s romantic score, this illustration
draws from Austrian Art Deco, Klimnt, and early
medieval manuscripts of Tristan und Isolde.
Lucia di Lammermoor
Gaetano Donizetti’s gothic creation of violence and romance sears the mind with its dramatic, gory intrigue and beautiful coloratura notes. Lucia’s bridal gown is stained with blood, and she is haunted with grief.
The Queen of the Night explodes in song in Mozart's classic fantasy opera.
Other Opera Art:
La Traviata
The touching, romantic story of the love, loss, and sacrifice of the beautiful courtesan Violetta is scored in the lush melodies of Giuseppe Verdi. Based on Dumas' tragic 'Camille'. The fading flower, doomed Violetta in a flourish of lacey layers, watched wistfully from a window.
