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Rosaura

Rosaura

“Rosaura,” from Les masques et les personages de la comédie italienne [The Masks and Characters of Italian Comedy], 1914, designed by Umberto Brunelleschi, Engraving with pochoir and gouache, Louis B. and Eleanor Deane Swan Audigier Collection of Art, 1934.1.157.

This print depicts Rosaura–a character from the form of theater known as Commedia Dell’Arte, which used a cast of stock characters with well-known roles and costumes to improvise plays. Rosaura was tough and beautiful, but calculating. This particular depiction comes from a series that appeared in the French magazine, Journal des Dames et Des Modes, which was known for its vivid prints drawn by leading artists of the day. Umberto Brunelleschi was an Italian illustrator, stylist, and stage and costume designer.