Design for Stage Set for the Second Act of Elisca or L'Habitante de Madagascar

This collaborative design for a stage set was created in 1798 by three of the most important architects and designers of the French Neoclassical tradition: Jean Thomas Thibault, Charles Percier (1764-1838), and Pierre Francois Leonard Fontaine (1762-1853). Percier and Fontaine were the official architects of Napoleon and are considered the creators of the Empire style, the most important decorative style of the early 19th century. The design for the second act of Elisca or L'Habitante de Madagascar shows the collaboration between three of the most accomplished designers of the French Neoclassical tradition, and the 1798 date places this in the period when French stage design was producing some of its most accomplished works.

This design for a stage set is important in the history of French design because it demonstrates the collaboration between three of the most important architects and designers of the French Neoclassical tradition. Percier and Fontaine—the official architects of Napoleon and the creators of the Empire style—were among the most influential designers in the history of French design, and the 1798 design shows the collaboration between the most accomplished designers of the period in the service of stage design.

Design for Stage Set for the Second Act of Elisca is a collaborative French Neoclassical stage design: the work of three of the most important architects and designers of the period, including Percier and Fontaine—the creators of the Empire style. The 1798 design shows the most accomplished designers of the French Neoclassical tradition collaborating in the service of stage design.