Antique opera glasses – A glimpse into the hidden world by Patricia Piotrak

A pair of antique opera glasses rests amongst deep wine-red velvet, golden ornaments and a dark red rose. The warm metallic tones of the finely crafted opera glasses stand out clearly against the dark fabric, whilst tassels, floral elements and small decorative details frame the composition. In the background, the delicate lines of an old sheet of music wind their way across the warm, aged paper.

I am fascinated by opera glasses as an artefact of a bygone theatre culture. They served not only to bring the stage closer. From a box, they could also be used to observe who entered the theatre, who sat next to whom – and perhaps who attracted more attention during the performance than the action on stage.

This is the little story behind the motif. It tells of seeing and being seen, of furtive glances and that special tension of an evening at the theatre. Wine red, gold and warm beige tones create an elegant and nostalgic atmosphere.

The artwork was created digitally as part of my visual world, inspired by historic theatres, music and the late 1920s. The opera glasses appear like a preserved relic from an evening long past and are particularly suited to classic and nostalgic settings, vintage interiors or a gallery wall centred on music, theatre and mysterious stories.