Stefano Di Stasio's Lost Mural at Rome's Teatro Trianon
In December 1990, a tempera mural measuring 17 by 10 meters was crafted by painter Stefano Di Stasio, who was born in Naples in 1948, at Rome's Teatro Trianon. This project was spearheaded by director Antonio Obino and actor Alberto Di Stasio. The theater's seats were removed, making way for a natural backdrop. Beginning December 23, Alberto curated performances of Aeschylus's Oresteia, which included elements of poetry, music, and dance. The mural illustrated figures holding torches and featured three men at a table resembling Obino, Alberto, and writer Arnaldo Colasanti. The Oresteia debuted on January 6, 1991, but only had two performances before funding cuts led to Obino relinquishing the theater, which was later transformed into a multiplex cinema, officially opened by Mayor Francesco Rutelli on September 18, 1997. The mural was ultimately destroyed, with only a preparatory sketch remaining.
Key facts
- Stefano Di Stasio painted a 17×10 meter tempera mural on plasterboard at Teatro Trianon in Rome in December 1990.
- The mural was created for a series of performances including Aeschylus's Oresteia, directed by Alberto Di Stasio.
- The theater director Antonio Obino and writer Arnaldo Colasanti were involved.
- The mural depicted figures with torches and a table with three men resembling Obino, Alberto Di Stasio, and Colasanti.
- Performances ran from December 23, 1990, to early January 1991.
- Funding cuts forced Obino to cede the theater to a Catholic association.
- The theater was later bought by Aurelio De Laurentiis and Fulvio Lucisano for a multiplex cinema.
- The mural was destroyed during renovations; only a preparatory sketch survives, now owned by an anonymous collector.
- The sketch was previously owned by Francesco Cordova and auctioned at Babuino in 2009.
- Mayor Francesco Rutelli inaugurated the new cinema on September 18, 1997.
Entities
Artists
- Stefano Di Stasio
- Alberto Di Stasio
Institutions
- Teatro Trianon
- Babuino auction house
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Naples
- Tuscolano district