The performing venue: the visual play of Italian courtly theatres in the sixteenth century

• Autores: Lex Hermans
• Localización: Art history: journal of the Association of Art Historians, ISSN 0141-6790, Vol. 33, Nº. 2, 2010 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Theatricality in Early Modern Visual Art and Architecture / coord. por Caroline van Eck, Stijn Bussels), págs. 292-303
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries Italian ruling families built theatres in their palaces to represent their status, their character, and their aspirations, and to impress these visually on their visitors. This article compares the theatre halls to apparati (sumptuous temporary structures that were put up for celebration), and reviews their four most salient elements: statues and paintings of gods, emperors, heroes, and virtues; history paintings; the stage set; and the design of the house. The discussion concludes that the theatres were not simply venues for plays, but were multi-media artworks, fashioned to act emotionally and intellectually upon their visitors.