Madame Butterfly

A famous opera by Giacomo Puccini, Madame Butterfly tells the story of the marriage between an American naval officer and a young Japanese geisha. Returning to the United States after promising to come back, Pinkerton leaves Cio-Cio-San waiting for him for years, refusing all other suitors and raising their son alone. When he finally returns to Japan, Pinkerton is accompanied by another woman, driving his betrayed wife to a desperate act. Reimagined and adapted many times in different forms, the tragic story of Madame Butterfly here finds a new artistic medium. A true art object, the Japanese-bound book contains a nearly 10-meter-long fresco in the form of a Leporello. Benjamin Lacombe’s full talent is revealed through extraordinarily poetic illustrations, blending iridescent blues, ever-present butterflies, and references to Japanese woodblock prints, transforming the tragedy into a genuine gallery of masterpieces.