SCENE-PAINTI,NO. With respect to the stage of the ancient theatres verylittle is known, and even is estroliegly ud,istluct, being founded not upon description, but merely on incidental allusions. But granting that they employed some kind of temporary stage &coral,* suited to the subject of the piece, the presumption is that it did net, at all resemble our modern scenery. The width of their stages it difficult to uuderetand bow any scene painted upon a single piece of canvas of sufficient size could have been let dowu, or rather drawn up, as it is supposed the anima were, or otherwise changed during the performance ; and it is quite certain that, since the per formances took place in the open air and by daylight, however con trived or executed, any kind of scenery like that of our modern theatres could not have produced the same degree of illusion.
With the rise and progress of scene-painting and stageselfect in modern times we are not much better acquainted, since no specimens of early scenery have been preserved, and only scanty, casual, and fragmentary notices relative to it have come down to us. From what is recorded of Baldassari Peruzzi's [1'1=m, in Bros. Div.] works of this class, and those of some other artiste, it would seem that scene painting was very greatly improved, though it may not have been brought all at once to perfection, about the time of Leo X. Consider able improvement appears also to have taken place in the general economy of the stage and everything connected with scenic apparatus, as well as in scene-painting. For much of his reputation with his contemporaries Inigo Jones was indebted to the fancy and talent he displayed not merely as a scene painter, but in getting up pageants and masques, and planning the decorations and machinery for them. Bute witlarespect to the meter° ,of his FIcenic effects and contrivances, we have little more. than traditional report to depend upon, for there exists no history of theatrical painting and of the various improve. menta which have from time to time taken place in the decorations and apparatus of the stage.
Of this last, and of the quantity of hidden machinery requisite for expeditiously changing the scenes, as well as for effecting more com plex displays in pieces of spectacle, we shall not here speak, but confine our remarks to the painted scenery alone. Beginning with what is
technically termed the drop-scene, as being the simplest of all, we have merely to remark that it is no more than a picture or single painted surface let down by way of blind or curtain between the acts, so as to close up the opening of the proscenium. As it generally continues to be used for an indefinite time—thirty or forty years in some instances —the drop is more carefully executed than back scenes, which, showy as they may be in effect, are required only for a season, and are at a much greater distance from the spectators. As far too as pictorial effect and truth of perspective are concerned, a drop shows itself to far greater advantage than other scenery, which is composed of dif ferent pieces constituting what is called a set of scenes. These consist of the narrow upright pieces called side-scenes or wing8, of the narrow horizontal ones (hanging-scenes or vete, painted to imitate a sky or ceiling, but chiefly intended to screen the space over the stage), and of the haek-seene. Backs again are of two kinds, namely, rolliny scenes which are let. down from above, and fiats, which arc formed of two sliding scenes strained upon framing, like the wings, and meeting each other and uniting in the centre. These are employed when what are termed practicable scenes are required, that is, with doors, windows, &c., which admit of being used as real doors, /ac.; or else when there is occasion that the " flat " should suddenly open and discover another scene behind it. In addition to these, there are what are termed open flats, which are scenes cut out iu places so that both the background is seen and the actors can pass through them. They are commonly used for the representation of groves or forests, but sometimes for interiors with open arches. There are besides what are technically known as pieces, narrow scenes placed obliquely on one side of the stage when it is wanted to show a cottage or corner of a house, with a door in it. Lastly, there is set scenery, as it its termed, where, instead of the usual wings ranged one behind the other, there is a single scene on each side extending from front to back, so that the stage is com pletely euelosed. By this means a more perfect representation of a room can be obtained than where wings are employed.