Académie Desprez

The DESPREZ Programme is dedicated to the work of Desprez in Sweden, including his three major contributions: architecture, sets & costumes design and decorative arts. The project for the season 2002 was related to Desprez’s activity as a set designer, by attempting to define the context existing in Sweden prior to his arrival. During the 2002 prefiguration of the Summer Academy, Gilbert Blin and Rémy-Michel Trotier have been, particularly through the collection of the Sveriges teatermuseum, studying the Bibienas’ legacy, by putting in relation existing Swedish sceneries with theoretical writings, designs, and architecture.

The material gathered during this study has been a inspirational basis for the creation of Vivaldi’s Rosmira fedele at the Opéra de Nice in February 2003. As the designer of the show, Gilbert Blin could use the historical reference to the Bibiena’s sceneries to build his own set. As advisor for the scenography, Rémy-Michel Trotier could use the treatises to calculate the structure of the machinery. Then, a third person intervening in this production process largely benefited from the 2002 research in her own work. Caroline Constantin, who is head painter of the Opéra de Nice, has been in charge of the painting process. She directed the team who painted the sets and realised some flats and backdrops herself. In her practical approach of the reconstitution of a scenery for Rosmira fedele, the reference to Eighteenth century techniques of painting, inherited from the Académie Desprez’ research of 2002, has been very inspirational.

Caroline Constantin’s commitment to the artistic project has been going far beyond the imperatives of a simple reproduction. By questioning not only the respect of the documents, but the fidelity to the hand and to the practice, she tried to reconstruct the original inspiration of the painters. After this first explorative and experimental approach on Rosmira fedele she wishes to confront herself directly to the original paintings and to investigate about options taken to make Drottningholm’s performances copies.

In the general perspective of the Desprez Programme, this travel grant should lead to a specific work around Desprez and the possibility of reconstructing some of his sceneries.

Who was Limnell ?

Pehr Emmanuel Limnell (1764-1861), painter and set designer, has been studying with Louis-Jean Desprez and the painters Pehr Hilleström and Louis Masreliez. Teacher at the Academy of Arts of Stockholm from 1812, his personnal production includes historical, romantic and allegorical works. Interior designs for Bernshammar Castle (circa 1790), for Rosersberg Castle (circa 1823) and Rosendal (from 1825).