This Exquisite painting from the French Opera by Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Meilhac and Halévy, based on the novel by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was premiered at the Opéra Comique of Paris on March 3, 1875. For a year after its premiere, it was considered a failure; denounced by critics as 'immoral' and 'superficial'. Today, it is one of the world's most popular operas. The story concerns the eponymous Carmen, a beautiful gypsy with a fiery temper. Not careful with her love, she is responsible for the downfall of many men. She woos the corporal Don José, leading him to mutiny against his superior. His infatuation causes him to join a band of smugglers, of which Carmen is a member. He is happy with Carmen for a brief period, but is driven to madness when she turns from him to the bullfighter Escamillo.