The French 17th century with the birth of the opera coincides with the epoch of the most glamorous baroque costumes presented in harmony with music and voices. Though the opera evolves with time from opera seria and opera buffa through ballet opera to singspiel, the glamour of the costumes goes hand in hand with a new kind of aesthetics: melodies accompanied by singular voices, castrate voices giving prominence to polyphonic flamboyancy and to the splendour of extravagant costumes made of coloured feathers and brocades.

Paintings on chinaware

Item 1

The flute player

Item 2

Tragedy and comedy