Shadow plays Henri Rivière (painter)

henri rivière in late life.

in 1886 rivière created form of shadow theatre @ chat noir under name ombres chinoises . notable success, lasting decade until cafe closed in 1897. used back-lit zinc cut-out figures appeared silhouettes. rivière joined caran d ache , other artists, performing d ache s drama l’epopee. 1886 1896, rivière created 43 shadow plays on great variety of subjects myth, history , bible. collaborated many different artists , writers, made illustrations 9 of productions himself. concentrated on improving technical aspects of production using enamelling , lighting create extremely delicate effects of light , colour. ombres evolved numerous theatrical productions , had major influence on phantasmagoria.

according historians phillip cate , mary shaw, rivière s work involved both aesthetic , technical innovations,

essentially, rivière created system in placed silhouettes of figures, animals, elements of landscapes, , forth, within wooden framework @ 3 distances screen: closest created absolutely black silhouette, , next 2 created gradations of black gray, suggesting recession space. silhouettes moved across screen on runners within frame.

along d ache s l’epopee, rivière s own works le temptation de saint antoine (1887) , la marche l etoile (1890), successful , popular. rivière s shadow theatre cabaret s greatest attraction , played crucial role in establishing credibility of cabaret other tier of avant-garde, impressionists/post impressionists: edgar degas, camille pissarro, claude monet, mary cassatt, , others.