IN A PAPER HOUSE WITH A RED door and a yellow rug, Madame Butterfly is weeping. Her husband, the feckless Lieutenant Pinkerton, has failed to return after years at sea, and now she realizes that he has abandoned her. Overcome by shame, she vows to kill herself.
This scene marks the climax of Puccini's operatic masterpiece Madame Butterfly, and, on a hot summer day as Baltimore artist Morgan Monceaux struggled to translate his vision of it into paint, the opera's sonorous harmonies and plangent melodies resounded through the rooms of his sweltering West Baltimore rowhouse.
THE WORLD OF MORGAN MONCEAUX / / March 15 through April 28 / / New Door Creative Gallery, 1601 St. Paul St. / / Opening reception March 18 / / 410-244-8244
ONLINE
To view Morgan Monceaux's paintings go to baltimoresun.com / monceaux
Morgan Monceaux
Age:
61
Where raised:
Alexandria, La.
Education:
Alexandria public schools; Bishop College in Dallas
Occupation:
Artist
Approach to life:
"There have been days when I'm not feeling well, but as long as the canvas is there, I'm content. There are a lot of people out there worse off than me."