Edward Burra came of age during the so-called 'roaring' 1920s and became fascinated by the sub-culture to be experienced at cafes, bars, nightclubs and, in the case of Madame Butterfly, theatres and cabarets. His best friend Billy Chappell was a ballerina with the Royal Ballet and as a result, he was surrounded by the dynamic energy of the 'Bright Young Things'. While his musical tastes veered towards jazz and blues (one of the reasons he was so inspired by his trip to Harlem in the 1930s), he did attend the opera, which was a favorite of his mother and his sister, and he was from early in his career involved with the theatrical community through his commissions for various set and cost.mes designs.

Burra worked on several productions including the ballet A Day in a Southern Port (Rio Grande) (1931), Aladdin (1933, unrealised), the Miracle of the Gorbals (1944) and Carmen (1947). He also collaborated with the poet Humbert Wolfe in publishing the ABC of the Theatre in 1932. In the volume Wolfe’s text is accompanied by 23 drawings Burra produced with his typical eye for wit and social observation, to perfectly capture and caricature various theatre personalities.

The present work is not a commissioned set design for any particular production of Madame Butterfly, but takes the same format we often see in Burra’s set designs which were eventually realized. The large sheet on which Burra worked is framed by the proscenium arch, which provides a portal for the audience into the imaginary world on stage. In this case Burra choses bold red swirls, of what we imagine would be lush velvet had the design come to fruition, finishing dramatically with the heads of roaring beasts.

Puccini’s devastating opera premiered in Milan in 1904 and was first performed in Covent Garden in 1905. The opera was hugely popular throughout the first half of the 20th Century, performed around the world and by the t.mes Burra painted the present work in 1931, had also been adapted into a silent film. Burra was clearly inspired by the subject, and presents us here with a riot of colour, noise and activity. The actors and dancers are resplendent in their ornate cost.mes s. The billowing sleeves, complex hair styles, patterned tights, and satin obi’s add to the sense of richness and drama. The set is complicated and lush, from the curling ornate chaise lounge and highly decorated folding screen, to the battleship silhouetted by the moonlight in the distance, and the musicians lit by paper lanterns playing from a balcony. Geishas shield their faces with fans and jewels sparkle and shine as the dancers elegantly move their wrists.

One of the original owners of the present work, John MacAdam, was a great friend of Edward Burra’s. Having first.mes t Burra in 1939, John and his wife Betty Keen also purchased Burra’s Tea Party in 1946, as there was a figure within the painting that the group felt John resembled.