The Gérard Cochets of La Piscine.

In 2009, the descendants of the painter and engraver Gérard Cochet (1888-1969) donated 102 works on paper to the Roubaix Museum, preparatory to costumes and sets for opera performances at the Opéra-Comique. These drawings relate more specifically to three works: Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévost and Jules Massenet (1938), The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart (1939), and Amphytrion 38 by Jean Giraudoux and Marcel Bertrand (1944). Between 1938 and 1949, Cochet worked several times for the Salle Favard. He also designed the costumes for Mesdames de la Halle by Offenbach (1940) and for Le Oui des jeunes filles by René Fauchois and Reynaldo Hahn. These critically acclaimed creations represent the pinnacle of Gérard Cochet's career as a decorator. He had previously designed several sets for public buildings and, as a naval painter, contributed to the decoration of several ships.