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Arts 9 4.2
Arts 9 4.2
(~1500-1700)
What was the Renaissance?
Began in Italy and spread to other European countries
Rebirth of cultural interest
Looking at the world in new ways
Trying to surpass the Classical world
The arts were seen as an important part of learning and
literary culture
Spirit of inquiry led to disputes over religion
Center of power shifted away from the church
In England the official state religion changed 4 times in
1500s
When Queen Eliz I took the throne in 1558, she outlawed
plays dealing with religion – that ended 200 years of
religious theatre.
Italy during the Renaissance
Perspective drawing developed in 1400s
Seen almost as a form of magic
Became very important in scenery
Fixed point from audience to back of stage
(from King or Queen’s seat)
** This signaled movement away from formal
and architectural stages (like Greeks and
Romans) to representational and pictoral
stage.
Examples of Perspective Art
Classic Renaissance
Perspective Drawing
Translating the Art to the Stage
Perspective Scenery
Technical Drawing
Scenery in Perspective
…Italian Scenery
During 17th Century (1600s) – pictoral
representations of “place” in stage scenery
became standards in Europe into the 20 th C.
Changing scenery became necessary to
change “place”
Classic Renaissance Theatres
Italian theatres were first – English were later
Very elaborate in design and decoration
Permanent buildings to honor the importance
of the arts
Closed in roof – often stained glass dome
and chandeliers of candles
Footlights – candles along front edge of stage
to light the stage
…more physical space
Auditorium divisions of boxes and levels of
galleries reflected European social class.
Box on side = wealthy showing off their
position
Lower level seats are called “Orchestra”
because they are close to the pit - best seats
for seeing the play = for middle class or
wealthy who don’t want to show off
Gallery (balcony) = for lower classes, higher
up and in back – usually different stairways
and doors
Note Stained Glass Dome (later electrified)
Detroit Theatre turned garage
Mansfield, Ohio Theatre
Mansfield, Ohio Theatre
Commedia dell’arte
Improvisation – plots and subplots, but
improvised dialogue
Stock characters – standard costumes
Use of Mime and Pantomime
Traveled in companies
Re-Introduced women as equals
France during the Renaissance
1548 – religious plays outlawed