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Angel of music .............................................
A BOOK OF ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANTHONY SMITH FOR THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA BY GASTON LEROUX ....................
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Artist’s statement .............................................
AND AN EXPLANATION OF HIS BODY OF WORK ....................
Nothing in the world contains such allure as the art-
work of the past. From the freakish imagery of the medieval illuminated manuscripts to the elegant fairy tale artwork of Illustration’s Golden Age, there is a unique disconnect from today’s reality that forces me to ignore the rules of the world that I am familiar with and be completely submerged in the world the artwork creates. In this series of illustrations for Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera, my mission is to tap into this special quality so that I might disconnect the viewers from their conceptions of reality to immerse them in the dark world of the haunted Opera.
My primary sources of inspiration are the black and
white works of the Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco movements. I find that the lack of dimension and emphasis on abstract embellishments guides viewers’ minds away from literal sense and sparks their imaginations. I 4
have taken cues from illuminated manuscripts in my compositions, use of symbols, and abstract means of conveying a story. I have also studied and incorporated elements of theater set design, befitting the story and satisfying my interest in spectacle.
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TA B L E O F C O N T EN T S ............................................. Chap te r
Pa ge
i. Artist’s Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ii. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 I. Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 II. Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 III. Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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INTRODUCTION .............................................
TO THE PALAIS GARNIER AND THE GHOST THAT HAUNTS IT ....................
Filling in for the mysteriously absent lead Carlotta
Giudicelli, young soprano Christine Daae has taken the opera world by storm. With such elegance she sings! But what inspiration has come to her so that she can sing one day like a crock, and only six months later capture the hearts of all the good patrons with a voice so heavenly?
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The young Raoul Vicomte de Chagny, up in his
brother’s box, applauds his childhood sweetheart’s triumph. Indeed, his enthusiasm for the opera lies not in its music or its entourage of dishy ballet girls, but in the prospect of a romantic reunion with his love, Christine.
Tonight he has a mind to visit Daae’s dressing room,
where they will sweetly reminisce and finally proclaim their love for each other! If only life were sweet. Instead,
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he will sorely overhear that the young diva has given her devotion to some mysterious other . . .
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In the dim halls of the opera, the jittery ballet girls
gossip among themselves about the night’s catastrophe. Scene-shifter Joseph Buquet has been found dead — hanging by a noose, some say — in one of the cellars! But before the rope could be cut to take the poor man’s body down, the noose vanished . . . as if reclaimed!
.................... The haunting of the Palais Garnier has only just begun. This horrible mystery will lead our callow Vicomte and mislead Daae into the dark ruins below the Palais Garnier, the forsaken world of a disfigured ghost — the Phantom of the Opera!
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.................... AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MAIN PLAYERS IN OUR STORY AND WHERE THEY FIGURE IN IT ....................
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CHRISTINE
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New lead soprano Christine Daae’s triumphant debut
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has made her an overnight sensation. The daughter of a
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renown violinist, one might say Christine’s break into the music world was a guarantee, however it was not until recently that her vocal prowess could reach such heights. The secret to her speedy advancement lies in her unseen tutor: a voice which coaches her from behind the walls of her dressing room. An angel — so she believes him to be — sent by her father after his passing.
Though Christine does not see any malice in her
new coach, she will soon feel the terror of the Phantom’s power over her. She will be driven mad, unable to live peacefully in the Phantom’s grasp but unable to leave him all the same. Very soon the fate of her beloved Raoul de Chagny and the entire Palais Garnier, will be determined by the decisions she makes.
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Raoul
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The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, youthful brother of
the Comte de Chagny, belongs to one of France’s most Raoul has been taken under his older brother’s wing, where he has been coddled. One gift of many that the Comte frequently bestows upon his little Raoul is a trip to the great Palais Garnier, granted at Raoul’s insistence. Raoul’s purpose, unbeknownst to his brother, is to see his childhood friend Christine, with whom he has fallen hopelessly in love.
Though his heart is pure, Raoul is extremely spoiled
and ornery. His pampered life has made him thin-skinned, and his passionate love for Daae has made him vulnerable. Without a father to guide him, Raoul must learn to cope with his own insecurities if he is to have any hope of winning over Mlle. Daae, and of protecting her from the terrors they will soon face.
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distinguished families. With the passing of his parents,
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the P hantom .............................................
Far below the Palais Garnier, in the old flooded
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ruins, a disfigured creature has taken up residence. He is
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commonly referred to as the Opera Ghost, a figure with a skeletal face and wicked red eyes. He haunts the halls of the Opera, ready to strike down those who know too much a with his cursed lasso.
The Phantom’s elusive nature has convinced the
majority that he is no more than fable, and the minority that he is a vengeful ghost. In reality, he is an old composer called Erik, cursed with an unlovable face since birth. His rejection from society has left him bitter and desperate for affection. His wicked eyes are now set on young and naive Daae, who he has been training vocally under the guise of an Angel of Music sent by her recently departed father. His evil manipulation of the poor girl is a desperate grasp for affection, though he will find that the more he attempts to control her, the less she is willing to obey him.
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.................... MY ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE STORY ACCOMPANIED BY EXCERPTS AND BY MY OWN COMMENTARY ....................
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Christine’s Debut .............................................
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Christine Daae’s grand debut as Margarita in Faust.
Raoul watches his love perform from his box seat.
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With this illustration, my purpose was to capture not
only the scene of Raoul applauding Daae, but the essence of the entire story — or, I should say the part of the story which I have decided to focus on, which is the relationship between Raoul, Christine and the Phantom.
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Raoul & Christine At p erros .............................................
Raoul has rendezvoused with Christine at Perros-
Guirec, a resort by the sea where the two spent the summer together as children. Christine explains that her father’s Angel of Music has visited her and communicates with her through her dressing room walls. Raoul does not know what to make of this.
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In this illustration I have included Christine’s scarf,
which I imagine is the same scarf that Raoul retrieved for her as a child when it blew out into the sea. Christine is initially excited to see Raoul, who she believes she can confide in and be comforted by, so she has chosen to wear the scarf which reminds her of his embrace. Her position in relation to Raoul suggests her inadvertent control over him, as his love drives him to do anything for her.
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Christine’s Fear .............................................
Raoul and Christine have decided to play a game;
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though the Phantom has forbidden Christine from taking
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a husband, he has not forbidden her from being engaged.
The lovers play at their engagement as they gaily ex-
plore the opera house, though Raoul notices that his Christine is often times on edge, wary of what may be lurking behind every corner, and especially fearful of the trap doors.
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With this illustration I desired to capture a less
literal part of the narrative, instead focusing on the mind of Christine Daae. We see the way in which the Phantom has distorted her reality in the perversion of her decor, and her fear of what danger she puts Raoul in with her little game. The Phantom has proven to be ruthless, and Raoul is strong-hearted but foolish. The more in love Christine falls with Raoul, the more she fears being with him.
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Dressing Mirror .............................................
Christine sees the Phantom for the first time through
the passageway into his underground lair.
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An element I wanted to capture in this illustration is
the distorted way in which the Phantom views love and desire. He longs for human connection and genuine affection, but he thinks he can achieve it by claiming the physical body of Christine. He has no concept of what love is, so, in his mind, having someone love him is no different from having someone as his possession. Christine is under a spell of hypnosis and does not give herself willingly, but the Phantom is too twisted to understand that this is not true love.
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her dressing room mirror. He lures her into the mirror,
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Raoul & Christine Are released .............................................
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Christine has shown the Phantom his first act of gen-
uine kindness by allowing him a kiss on her head. Moved and regretful of his evil ways, the Phantom has decided to let Christine and Raoul go so that they may live their happy lives together. He returns his ring to Christine, making her swear that she will return bury him when he dies.
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The contrast between Raoul and the Phantom was
my main interest in this illustration, beyond the literal story. Raoul, a man loved by all and who earns Christine’s affection, is youthful and strong. He is weary, but in a glamorous and sensual way. The Phantom, directly across from him, is frail and hideous, with knobby knees and spidery fingers. While Raoul is a much better person than the Phantom is, and while the Phantom’s actions are not excused, this raises the thought that perhaps it is easier for Raoul to be good than it is for the Phantom.
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.................... A SMALL COLLECTION OF SKETCHES AND SOME IDEAS OF MINE THAT WENT UNUSED ....................
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.................... THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ....................
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