1-148-856 - Art Media/Heritage Images

Set design for Mozart's The Magic Flute, 1863. The Magic Flute ('Die Zauberflote'), the opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) with libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder (1751-1812) was first produced in Vienna in 1791. The plot has overtones of Freemasonry. Some say Queen of the Night is based on the Empress Maria Theresa (1717-1780). Design for an 1863 production at the Paris Opera. From the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.