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PAINTING SCENERY.

and Put Into Place.
Very few of the more recently built
theatres have painting rooms that any
one who valued health and sight would
care to paint in; hence any painting that
has to be done is painted outside in rooms
specially built and fitted with all the
necessary apparatus for raising the see
merry and stretching the large canvases.
There are three very fine rooms in
the older theates-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 DC
thoroughfare through 1t; across Covent
Garden and Drury Lane rooms workers
in other departments have right OF
wayl The room at Covent Garden is
of vast proportions GO feet long by &c
feet wide, and about 90 feet high, and
possesses four separate stretching frames
the largest 40 feet by 70 feet. This
enormous stretcher Isl 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 a
frame would cost about SIS with the
sewing. The physical strain in covering
SO large surface, and in walking back
ward and forward from one end of the
room to the other to judge Of the effect,
is exceedingly severe. The present ar
engagements In England are great ad-
vancement upon the older method of
spreading the canvas out upon the floor,
and painting 1t 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 done
on the floor over the auditorium.
The income of the most successful
scene painter is certainly very much
smaller than that of avery second rate
cabinet picture painter, or even of a
tolerably successful draughtsman for the
chief illustrated journals. Yet, consider
ing the amount each scenic picture costs
the management-for it must be borne
in mind that the frame maker, the can
vas 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 highly successful picture
painter. Thus heavy "set" at Covent
Garden or Drury Lane would cost 500
or $500, 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 the situation by word of mouth.
Others can only explain the situations
and probabilities" leaving the artist
absolutely free handed, reserving to
themselves the right of alteration when
they have a tangibiity before them.
either in the scene itself or in the model
But, when all is said, the material gener-
ally furnished us 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-
liabilities" but also your composition,
color and scheme Of lighting. Any al
terations considered necessary are then
easy to make. The uninitated in aft airs
theatrical would be greatly amused to
see the collection of miscellaneous arti-
cles in modelling that are scattered around
us--bits of silk, gelatine, tissue papers,
muslin, coal, birch brooms, plaster Of
Paris, books, sticks and the indispensa-
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, clotke 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 ledge of
rock pours 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
nent, the master carpenter comes to see
it with respect to the construction of it
mechanically, and to hear your sugges-
tons as to setting and striking 1t 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.
one foot tn every half inch Of the model
a few days after, almost acres OF frame
work and bales of canvas are brought
in; one 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 foregroW d,
gaining in strength as you advance.
Then for day OK two the stage ia givan
I'D 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 VIII It come together at
last. after dawdling about perhaps from
9 in the morning until Q as night, the
setting is begun, and If happily i,
comes well and quickly together, the
artist may proceed at once to hight" it.
The best scene ever designed and painted
can be ruined by injudicious ightings
for the illumination Is the last and most
important touch to the picture-its very
Efe.-Wm. Telbin N Magazine Of Art,