Molière en Couleurs - Fabulous Exhibition at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

 
Exhibition: Molière en couleurs

Our Drama Librarian, Alan Jones, has arranged a fabulous exhibition of costume design paintings, with the support of Alliance Francaise de Glasgow and Bibliothèque de la Comédie-Française.  Charles Bétout drawings are now collected all over the world, and will be yours to admire in the Cafe/Bar from 31st October to 20th November.

The exhibition was opened by Bailie Liz Cameron, who was introduced by Hugh Hodgart; representatives from the Alliance Francaise de Glasgow also attended.  Our many guests unanimously agreed that the works are exquisitely drawn.

Costume and scenic design are two essential components of performance art. Operas, operettas, stage plays, ballets, and films all rely on design to create worlds that inspire the imagination.

From the library of the Comédie-Française (the oldest western theatre company in the world) to the Cafe/Bar of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland come the works of Charles Bétout.

Charles Bétout was a costume designer for the opera for various theatres in France, for fashion magazines and movies. He was the main costume designer of the Comédie-Française between 1919 to 1939.

As part of the Molière en couleurs (Molière in colour) exhibition, 22 of Bétout's watercolour costume designs for plays by Molière will be on display at the Conservatoire.

His drawings are particularly valuable for their intricacy and accuracy of the historical details. He has captured the very essence of Molière’s time in his work.