Entre peinture et scène : expérimentations néoclassiques dans le décor de théâtre, le cas d’Ignazio Degotti (1758-1824)

Ignazio Degotti (1758-1824), born in Turin, was a set painter working in Paris from 1790, and was chief decorator at the Théâtre de l’Opéra between 1795 and 1822. Away from the theatrical stage, he collaborated with Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). The first documented contacts between Degotti and David date back to early 1800, although a first meeting between the two artists can be dated to 1784, when they were both in Rome. Degotti’s period of activity coincided with the full maturity of neoclassical aesthetics in the arts. This contribution considers how, at the turn of the nineteenth century, a genuine neoclassical décor developed, strictly in line with the aesthetic theories of the time, or whether, more simply, theatre décor followed a phase of experimentation using ancient art. The article explores the details of the relationship between Degotti and David, demonstrating how painting and theatre were fertile ground for artistic experimentation and interdisciplinary links between Italy and France.