Beatrice and Benedict, Act I: Nocturne, from Hector Berlioz's Opera "Beatrice and Benedict (1862)"

Here Henri Fantin-Latour depicted a scene from Béatrice et Bénédict, Hector Berlioz’s 1862 opera version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing. In this moody nighttime scene from the lighthearted opera, Héro and her maidservant, Ursule, discuss Héro’s love for the young Claudio. The moon is high in the sky, and the two young women are shrouded in darkness as they talk and embrace one another.