, 1889-06-29

How Stage Pictures Are Designed. Made Up
and Put Into Place.

has to be one is painted outside in rooms
specially built and fitted with all the
necessary apparatus for raising the see
merry and stretching the large
There are three very fine room in
the older theatres-Covent Garden,
Drury Lane, and Her Majesty's (the lat
ter for some reason is the most agreeable
to paint in of the three, as there is no
thoroughfare through it; across Covent
Garden and Drury Lane rooms workers
in other departments have a right of
way The room at Covent Garden is
of vast proportions 900 feet long by 80
feet wide, and about 50 feet high, and
possesses four separate stretching frames
tho largest 40 feet by 70 feet. This
enormous stretcher is worked up and
down by means of a very powerful wind
lass with multiplying gear, and hung by
iron chains. The canvas to cover such
frame would cost about e15 with the
sewing. The physical strain in covering
SO large n surface, and in walking back
ward and forward from one end of the
to the other to judge of the effect,
is exceedingly severe. The present ar
rangements in England are a great ad-
vancement upon the older method of
spreading the canvas out upon the floor,
and painting it standing up with long
handled brushes reaching to the ground.
Scenery in France, and on the continent
generally, is still painted so; in the old
"Her Majesty's" the painting was lone
on the f1oor over the auditorium.
The income of the most successful
scene painter is certainly very much
smaller than that of a very second rate
cabinet picture painter, or even of a
tolerably successful draughtsman for the
chief illustrated journals. Yet, consider
ing h mount each scenic picture costs
the management-for it must be borne
in mind that the frame maker, the can
a and the scene setter are all included
in the cost of the picture-it will be
readily understood that the scenic pic
ture would not amount to less than the
work of a highly successful picture
painter. Thus a heavy 'set" at Covent
Garden or Drury Lane would cost e700
or eS0O, and at other theatres in proper
ton, according to their size.
When the scene painter receives his
commission from the manager, he re-
ceives with it some sort of particulars of
what is wanted. Some managers can
graphically illustrate their requirements;
others, not possessing this happy faculty,
give the key to the idea and require
ments of h situation by word of mouth.
Others can only explain the situations
N "practicabilities," leaving the artist
absolutely free handed, reserving to
themselves the right of alteration when
they have a tangibility before them.
either in the scene itself or in the model.
But, when all is said, the material gener-
ally furnished is is of the slightest.
The most satisfactory way to proceed
is TO spend time on the model (which is a
representation of the stage to scale), and
thoroughly to understand from it what
you propose doing-not only the ''prac-
disabilities" but also your composition,
color and scheme of lighting. Any al
terations considered necessary are then
easy to make. The un"initiated in affairs
theatrical would be greatly amused to
see h collection of miscellaneous arti-
Giles In modelling that are scattered around
us-bits of silk, gelatine, tissue papers,
muslin, coal, birch brooms, plaster of
Paris, books, sticks and the i~ndispensa-
BILE glue pot, photographs, tools, color
box and scissors. With coal and plaster
we create our mimic rocks and beetling
crags; from selected portions of the
broom, dipped in and modelled with plas-
ter, we construct our trees, clothe in
verdure our hillsides; and with silk,
colored gelatines, etc., we make our at
mosphere, and night or day is according
to the density and color of the medium
in which we clothe it. Over q ledge of
rock pours a torrent of floss silk; the
more distant portions, of course, are
painted. The books, photographs,
sketches and print furnish us with our
authorities for detail.
The model completed, after being duly
inspected and approved by the manage
ment, the master carpenter comes to see
it with respect to the construction of it
mechanically, and to hear your sugges-
ions as to setting and striking It in
something like reasonable time. When
all is understood he traces the various
portions of the model, and from the
duplicates constructs the actual scene,
n loot to every half inch of the model.
A few days after, almost acres of frame
work and bales of canvas are brought
in; n great surface is stretched on the
frame, and, having been duly prepared,
upon 1t you first start-this generally
represents the back portions of the scene.
Then you paint the different pieces in
order till you arrive at the foreground,
gaining in strength as you advance.
Then for a day or two the stage Is given
up entirely to the artist for the scene to
be set and lighted. This setting is the
most anxious time of all, and the most
experienced of us cannot help asking
himself, How will it come together? At
last, after ~dawdling about perhaps from
8 in the morning until 0 at night, the
''setting" is begun, and if happily it
comes well and quickly together, the
artist MAJ proceed at once to Eight" II.
The best scene ever designed and painted
"a be ruined by injudicious lighting;
for the illumination is the last and most
important touch to the picture-its very
life.-Wm. Telbin in Magazine of Art.
To Increase Lung Power.
1 have seen men and women increase
their lung power-chest expansion it is
called technically-by five minutes ex-
1910 -~1-~.- - -.l. C.- -