Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-09-28
PAINTING A pRop SCENE.


"This is as fixed In their minds as wero the
structures in stone and marble where the
people Of centuries ago sat and witnessed the
self same unquestioning Obedience 10 prece
dent on the part Of their actors. In this ro
production OF the old theatre OF Orange, or
Araceio, as it was known by the Romans,
the turning prisms help TO convince the spec
tator Of what the author intended, without
in the least manner attempting to impose
upon them by means OF scenic illusion. There
was no more deception in these rotating
prisins than there was Ia the labels in Shakes
peare's Globe theatre, where This is a pa.
lace This Is n forest or This is a sea coast
answered the requirements for that time"
The origin of the curious piece of theatrical
slang, "gallery gods,n Is unearthed by one OF
these models 1t is that Of 'The Mysteries of
Valenciennes,n given in i5i7. IL is merely
panoramic view, presenting successivcly hell
purgatory, the golden gates, the sea, the
bishops house, the palace, Jerusalem, the
temple, the town Of Nazareth aud Paradise
In this model they are longitudinally dis
played, but they were commonly shown IN
stages, one rising above the other, the lowest
being that OF his satanic majesty, the top
hoor showing Paradise. Thus it was that the
general nickname Of goods" came TO be ap
piled to gallery spectators,
Each scene painter naturally has his own
methodspf work. Noegtlin, one of the most
famous Of them all, is generally considered
10 be the most rapid. His speed is wonderful.
He has been known 10 wait until the very
day before an elaborate production and then
paint three or four big drops in a single night.
And with it all. his scenery is always strik.
ingly original, though, Of course, done in
broad bs md HttTith no al ~ I.t
Henry Z. Hoyt, the famous New York
scenic artist, in ar interview once said:
"Some people imagine that men in my
profession are Of little consequence, and few
would deign to call them artists Now
claim that the scene painter is as much Of an
artist as the man who paints in oil colors
The same amount of originality is required
the same careful study, the-bame knowledge
OF Respective and other laws that govern
painting, and the sarus amount Of practical
experience. The effects produced by both he
pend mainly upon the judicious uso of tho
colors employed.
The scenic artist works upol a grandcr
scale, uses huge brushes and n profusiun II
materials in his work, but his methods arc
the same as the others
TO prove the truth Of this state, ~ nee 4
only assert that II any stage picture OF artistic
merit were TO be reduced TO the size of nm oil
painting the great splashes Of color would bp
come delicate lines, and the CORRECTNESS OF the
work be apparent TO all On the other hand.
II the smallest oil landscape were TO be mag
nified to the size of a stage scene the exquisite
touches which we SO much adIufre would an,
pear ms huge daubs OF paint viii now ex.
plain to you just how a scene is painted from
fts inception TO Its completion, in order that
you may form some idea OF the difficulties II
the task
ITO begin with, a manager having decided
70 produce a new piece. will come 10 me fca
his scenery He is full of suggestions, and
imposes inDumerable restrictions which tend
TO trsmmel my IDEAS He must have door
here. window there, an ascent leading up
into the wings to represent mountain path,
way, or flight Of steps on sore particular
part OF the stage Ny painting must lie
adapted to these requirements, which are often
elHentiai To a correct representation of the
play
Everything must he historically currr~.
In painting the scenery for the opera, Queen
OF Sheba, ] got many valuable hunt. from a
careful reading of the Old r,stara.nt n
Was aiso neceAsary for me 10 read dozen or
more works on ancient architecture, and 70
thefoashiS hnbae III all -Ii a. .,i-----.