The Ballet from “Robert le Diable”

What you see

The picture splits into two bands. Below, in the gloom, a row of men in black suits lines the edge of the stage; one peers sideways through opera glasses and another turns in profile. Above, the lit stage shows a gallery of arches, and among them pale figures move in white and bluish robes, as if wrapped in veils.

Almost everything is dark brown and black, with the light gathered on the stage in muted whites, greys and greens. The figures in the back are painted in quick, blurred strokes, while the men’s heads are more detailed. Seek out the opera glasses catching the light at the center, and the signature in the lower right.