The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 16, 2026

A vertically oriented albumen print depicts a tall rostral column centered in the foreground, featuring ornate lanterns and protruding metal ship prows. To the left, the decorated stone facade of the Opéra with sculptures and arched windows borders a stone balustrade. To the right, a wide street recedes past multi-story buildings with many windows and awnings. Cursive script at the bottom reads "Opéra (Colonne rostrale)."

Opéra (Rostral Column)

c. 1875

Charles Marville

(French, 1813–1879)
France, 19th century
albumen print from wet collodion negative
Image: 37.7 x 26.7 cm (14 13/16 x 10 1/2 in.); Mounted: 35.4 x 26.7 cm (13 15/16 x 10 1/2 in.); Matted: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22 in.)
Purchase from the Karl B. Goldfield Trust 2006.6
Location: 230 Photography
  • c. 1990
    Roxane Debuisson [1927–2018], purchased from a bookseller as part of an album, Paris, France
    Collection Debuisson, Paris, France
    ?–2006
    (Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH)
    February 27, 2006–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Hinson, Tom E. "Remembrance of Things Past." Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 49, no. 9 (November 2009): 3-5. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 4 archive.org
  • France in the Time of Manet and Morisot. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 10-August 23, 2026).
    France at the Dawn of Photography. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 4, 2009-January 24, 2010).
  • {{cite web|title=Opéra (Rostral Column)|url=false|author=Charles Marville|year=c. 1875|access-date=16 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2006.6