Did not unframe, book binding visible along left edge, some pentimenti visible, some scattered pinholes and pindots of foxing, some marks and stains throughout.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

While Alfred Choubrac exhibited paintings at the Paris Salons between 1865 and 1895, he is best known for his highly imaginative poster ads (selling everything from beverages to bicycles) and theatre posters for Les Folies-Bergères, L'Opéra Comique, and Le Châtelet.  Indeed, it is work for Le Châtelet which may point to the purpose of the present charming group of drawings.  The Théâtre Impérial du Châtelet opened on August 19, 1862 as Paris' largest theater, specifically designed for acoustic quality and excellent sight lines for the 2,500 capacity audience. Popular military dramas and fantasy plays took full advantage of the theater's advanced special effects, like an elaborate system of fireworks shown in the lurid poster for Les Pilules du Diable, in which mannequins placed on boxes of explosives are blown up in shooting red flames and clouds of smoke.  Châtelet's performances also included variety shows featuring the theater's own ballet troupe.  Their elaborate costumes are likely depicted in the present series of drawings.  A number of the artist's sketches survive, detailing fantastical costume designs based on a common theme—nature (women dressed as flower buds and vines), sports (women wearing suits made of tennis rackets), or, as in the case of the following lots, porcelain. It is yet to be determined for what show these designs may have been intended and what dancers may have endured in such complicated costumes--teaspoons as headdresses, espresso cups as bustiers, and sugar bowls for pants.  A written ledger corresponding to these pictures details the design motifs, from French, Italian, Netherlandish, and Asian designs, to sauceboats to soup tureens to candlesticks. While these designs may be derived from actual French faience (pottery), many of the shapes and types of decoration are mixtures of various styles and origins, revealing that Choubrac was more interested in decorative effects than accurate detail.  High and low styles of ceramics are mixed: for example, a figure wearing an eighteenth century Sevres ormolu-mounted vase in blue is placed alongside a humble country teapot with a rustic floral design and b🧔utterfly knob.