Jules Pierre Michel Diéterle

An imposing Gothic palace adorned with arches and turrets dominates this large sheet. It is shown in rigid perspective, with precisely ruled vanishing lines in pen and ink visible under the graphite architectural drawing. This monumental illusionistic composition is typical of backdrop designs for the stage, a business in which Diéterle’s firm specialized. Cut and patched, annotated by multiple hands, and visibly worn, the sheet displays the characteristics of a working drawing made to convey precise information and serve as a blueprint.