Curator Arlene Palmer Schwind will present a lecture to the Victorian Society New York on Thursday, December 15, which will be held at the English Speaking Union. Titled “Giuseppe Guidicini: New York Opera Houses and Theatres,” her talk will explore the role of the Mansion’s artist in creating the Italian style that came to dominate American theatrical décor in the nineteenth century.
During his 35-year career, Guidicini decorated over a dozen opera houses and theatres in New York City. None exist today, and written reports and engravings convey only a hint of his designs. With its wealth of richly detailed wall and ceiling paintings, the Mansion-Guidicini’s only extant architectural commission-provides important insights into the ornamentation of these early theatres.
