Charles Bianchini

Charles Bianchini was an artist active in the late nineteenth century, with documented work spanning the period 1875 to 1897. His extant artistic output consists primarily of specialized drawings related to theatrical and historical apparel.

Bianchini’s practice was centered on applied arts, concentrating specifically on detailed costume design for performance or dramatic presentation. The fourteen drawings represented in museum collections confirm this highly specialized focus, detailing specific historical or fictional ensembles. These studies include the Design for Man's "Medieval" Costume and the figure studies Costume for a Youth in Yellow and Blue and Costume Design for a Maiden Draped in White.

His working method frequently involved detailed accessory documentation alongside the main design, exemplified by the pairing of the Costume Design for "4 Villageois jouant au hautbois" with its complementary Descriptive Sheet of Costume Accessories. Other specific character studies, such as the Costume Design for a Cavalier (?) in Blue and Burgundy with Feathered Cap and Sword, demonstrate attention to color palette and period detail critical for stage production.

Today, the known body of his work is preserved in major institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These original drawings provide museum-quality documentation of costume practices during the latter half of the 19th century. As the period of his activity dates firmly within the required timelines, high-quality images of Charles Bianchini prints and drawings are increasingly available within the public domain for research and scholarly analysis.