14.00 USD
By the time Thaïs was submitted to the Paris Salon in the early 1920s, Adrien Tanoux (1865-1923) was already a very well respected painter, having won many awards, and was well known, particularly for his "orientalist" nudes. We date this card to the early 1920s, since our research suggests the painting was shown in 1922, and that Monsieur Tanoux passed away in 1923.
"Thaïs" was an opera bouffe in three acts, by Jules Massenet, that premiered in 1894 with Sibyle Sanderson in the title role (written expressly for her by Massenet). In 1903, one of our favorite people, Signorina Lina Cavalieri performed the lead in the Italian premiere.
The story itself is a compelling one. Set in Byzantine Egypt, it relates the tale of Thaïs, an Alexandrian courtesan (and a devotee of the goddess Venus), and Athanaël, a Cenobite monk, who attempts to convert her to the Christian faith. According to Wikipedia, (Athanaël) "...discovers too late that his obsession with her (Thaïs) is rooted in lust; and while the courtesan's true purity of heart is revealed, so is the religious man's baser nature."
This, we gotta see! :)
A lovely card, with slight age fading. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!