IRINA STENBERG (1905–1985) Stage design for La Marâtre, a play by Honoré de Balzac, Griboedov Theatre, Tbilisi

signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘I. Stenberg 1940’ (lower right), inscribed in Cyrillic ‘Balzak / Machekha’ (lower left) watercolour and ink on paper 43 x 30.5 cm Executed in 1940 The present stage design was created by Irina Stenberg for the 1940 production of La Marâtre by Honoré de Balzac at the A.S. Griboedov Russian Drama Theatre in Tbilisi, where she served as stage and costume designer from 1936 to 1956. The production was staged to mark the 90th anniversary of Balzac’s death. Written in 1848, two years before the Balzac’s death, La Marâtre explores concealed passions and family tensions lurking beneath the veneer of bourgeois respectability. Balzac himself described it as a “salon drama” in which outward calm and domestic harmony gradually give way to destructive emotions. ‘Although the play contains elements of melodrama, it would be mistaken to take them as the starting point for a stage interpretation of La Marâtre. To depict, through realist means, without adding to or altering Balzac in any way, the life of bourgeois society in the first half of the nineteenth century; to expose its driving forces and, through the presentation of a family drama, reveal a social drama — this is how the Griboedov Theatre understood its task in working on La Marâtre. Balzac’s play is remarkably simple and concise: not only the characters but the action itself is laid bare. La Marâtre offers no occasion for lavish scenery or elaborate music. Nothing conceals the actors’ weaknesses or enhances their strengths; they must rely solely on their own skill. It is precisely this challenge that makes the play such a rewarding undertaking for any theatre.’ - A. Avgustov, the Griboedov Theatre’s stage director. Upon the buyer’s request, we are pleased to provide a general condition report for the Lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to conduct their own inspection or consult a specialist or restorer of their choice for a comprehensive professional assessment. Any condition descriptions provided in the catalogue or through any correspondence are for guidance only and should not be considered a substitute for a firsthand evaluation. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.