Pair of small eyeglasses purchased by Verdi in Paris and presumably worn on his country sojourns. Blue tinted lenses, together with the leather pouch gilt-stamped "Delahaye Opticien. 14 Passage Verdeau, Paris." Temples 110 mm long, maximum diameter of the oblong lenses 35 mm. Right lense cracked, separation of the case clasp, else fine. An extraordinary memento of one of the most influential figures in the history of opera, and whose works, including such classics as Rigoletto, La Traviata, and Aïda, are a cornerstone of the genre. Provenance: Christie's, June 14, 2001, lot 41(illustrated); Private Collection, NY.
We find mention of the Delahaye opticians in annual issues of the Parisian Almanach du Commerce, beginning in 1855, the same year in which Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes was premiered at the Paris Opéra, on 13 June 1855.
In 1847, Verdi left for London for the world premiere of I Masnadieri, then settled in Paris where he met up with Giuseppina Strepponi, who would create the role of Abigaille. They would never be separated again. Verdi purchased the property at Sant’Agata, near Busseto and openly enlisted in the struggle for the liberation of Italy, which was then occupied by the Austrians. After 1850, Verdi was unrivaled in Italy. In particular, his popular trilogy, Rigoletto – Il Trovatore – La Traviata dates from this period. Les Vêpres siciliennes (Paris, 1855), Simon Boccanegra (La Fenice in Venice, 1857), Un ballo in maschera (Rome, 1859), La Forza del destino (Saint Petersburg, 1862), Don Carlos (Paris, 1867), Aida (Cairo, 1871), the Messa di Requiem (Milan, 1874), Otello (Milan, 1887), and Falstaff (Milan, 1893) would follow. In 1861, he was elected deputy of Busseto. He passed away in Milan on January 27, 1901.
Pair of small eyeglasses purchased by Verdi in Paris and presumably worn on his country sojourns. Blue tinted lenses, together with the leather pouch gilt-stamped "Delahaye Opticien. 14 Passage Verdeau, Paris." Temples 110 mm long, maximum diameter of the oblong lenses 35 mm. Right lense cracked, separation of the case clasp, else fine. An extraordinary memento of one of the most influential figures in the history of opera, and whose works, including such classics as Rigoletto, La Traviata, and Aïda, are a cornerstone of the genre. Provenance: Christie's, June 14, 2001, lot 41(illustrated); Private Collection, NY.
We find mention of the Delahaye opticians in annual issues of the Parisian Almanach du Commerce, beginning in 1855, the same year in which Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes was premiered at the Paris Opéra, on 13 June 1855.
In 1847, Verdi left for London for the world premiere of I Masnadieri, then settled in Paris where he met up with Giuseppina Strepponi, who would create the role of Abigaille. They would never be separated again. Verdi purchased the property at Sant’Agata, near Busseto and openly enlisted in the struggle for the liberation of Italy, which was then occupied by the Austrians. After 1850, Verdi was unrivaled in Italy. In particular, his popular trilogy, Rigoletto – Il Trovatore – La Traviata dates from this period. Les Vêpres siciliennes (Paris, 1855), Simon Boccanegra (La Fenice in Venice, 1857), Un ballo in maschera (Rome, 1859), La Forza del destino (Saint Petersburg, 1862), Don Carlos (Paris, 1867), Aida (Cairo, 1871), the Messa di Requiem (Milan, 1874), Otello (Milan, 1887), and Falstaff (Milan, 1893) would follow. In 1861, he was elected deputy of Busseto. He passed away in Milan on January 27, 1901.