Beaumarchais and 'The Marriage of Figaro', 1784 (c1900). Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchias (1732-1799) French playwright and satirist. His comedy 'Le Marriage de Figaro' (1784) was the basis for Mozart's opera 'Le Nozze de Figaro' (1786). From a French trade card. Chromolithograph.