This richly illustrated volume is a genuine visual surprise for the reader, who will be led through the various sections of the book celebrating the 400th anniversary of the birth of the famous French writer, actor, and playwright: Molière!
Over 150 theater costumes, as well as a collection of models and photographs are included in this volume, offering a glimpse into the various themes joining Molière and stage costumes. Selected because they are representative of a director—Louis Jouvet’s Dom Juan, Roger Planchon’s Dandin, or Jean-Marie Villégier’s Le Malade imaginaire—or of a costume designer such as Suzanne Lalique, Christian Bérard, or Patrice Cauchetier, these costumes thus come to reflect specific tendencies: whether it is a historical reconstruction, a fashion of the time, or a historical rendition, but they also present ample signs of the designers’ imagination.
The works and costumes come mainly from the collections of the Centre national du costume de scène in Moulins, from the Comédie-Française, and from the Department for Theater Arts of the Bibliothèque National de France, but there are also items on loan from theaters, companies, and cultural organizations such as the Théâtre national populaire of Villeurbanne and the Maison Jean Vilar.
The book is a companion to the major exhibition titled Molière en costumes that will be held at the Centre national du costume de scène in Moulins from May 26 to November 6, 2022.
Véronique Meunier is library conservator general of the Department for Theater Arts of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. She is also a member of SIBMAS (Société internationale des bibliothèques, des musées, archives et centres de documentation des arts du spectacle).