Paul Bilhaud

It has been classified as a National Treasure by the French state. Bilhaud was not the first to create an all-black artwork: for example, Robert Fludd published an image of "Darkness" in his 1617 book on the origin and structure of the cosmos; and Bertall published his black Vue de La Hogue (effet de nuit) in 1843. Inspired by Bilhaud, Alphonse Allais proposed other monochrome paintings, published in his Album primo-avrilesque in 1897.

• Name — Paul Bilhaud • Born — 31 December 1854 • Birthplace — Bruère-Allichamps (Cher) • Died — 8 January 1933 • Place of death — Avon (Seine-et-Marne) • Occupation — Playwright, librettist • Movement — Incoherents • Illustration — Paul Bilhaud, Combat de nègres pendant la nuit, 1882

• La Première Querelle, domestic scene, éditions Barbré, 1881, a play created at the Théâtre du Gymnase, 1 September 1881. • La Soirée du seize, comedy de salon in one act, éditions Librairie théâtrale, 1884. • Première ivresse (in collaboration with Julien Berr de Turique) créée à l’Odéon, 22 September 1885. • Bigame, comedy in three acts (in collaboration with Albert Barré), éditions Librairie théâtrale, 1886. • La Courtisane de Corinthe (in collaboration with Michel Carré). • Ma Bru! (in collaboration with Michel Carré), performed at the Théâtre de l'Odéon in 1898. • Le Gant, comedy in one act (in collaboration with Maurice Hennequin), éditions P.-V. Stock, 1905. • L’Âme des héros, (in collaboration with Michel Carré) one-act play in verses, created at the Comédie-Française, 6 June 1907. • L'École des bavards ou Parler, scene in three periods, éditions Georges Ondet, 1919. • La Douche, comedy de salon, played by Coquelin cadet and Melle Scellier, éditions Librairie Théâtrale, 1884. • Gustave!, comedy de salon in one act • Heureuse!, comedy in three acts (in collaboration with Maurice Hennequin) • La Famille Boléro, play in three acts • Les Espérances, comedy in one act, in prose, Paris, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 2 September 1885 • J’attends Ernest, comedy in one act, in prose, Paris, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 11 April 1885 • Le Papillon, comedy in one act, in verses

• La Soubrette, operetta in one act, with Quénéhen and Rambaud (Asnières, 6 July 1891) • Un mariage à bout portant, operetta in one act, with Remy, music by Cieutat (Scala, 16 February 1892) • Toto, operetta in three acts, with Albert Barré, music by Antoine Banès (Théâtre des Menus-Plaisirs, 10 June 1892) • Madame Rose, opera-comique in one act, with Albert Barré, music by Antoine Banès (Opéra-Comique, 25 September 1893) • Nos bons chasseurs, vaudeville in three acts, with Michel Carré fils, music by Charles Lecocq (Nouveau Théâtre, 10 April 1894) • Le Roi Frelon, operetta in three acts, with Albert Barré, music by d'Antoine Banès (Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques, 11 April 1895) • La Tourte, operetta in one act, music by Gaston Serpette (Asnières, 8 February 1895) • La Jarretière, operetta in one act, with Albert Barré, music by Antoine Banès (Eldorado, 29 April 1897) • La Fiancée du trombone à coulisse, fairly joyous symphonologue, music by Émile Pessard