Scenography

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The term scenography comes from ancient Greek and means something like stage or scene painting. Scenography goes back to Sophocles (although Aeschylus is also sometimes associated with it) and, along with masks, props, etc., is considered a factual means of ancient theater.

history

As early as Aeschylus' time (1st half of the 5th century BC), people were concerned with the scenic decoration of the Greek theater . The painter Agatharchos of Samos is named as the first manufacturer of stage decorations with a perspective effect for pieces.

Since the Greek stage was surrounded by a solid stage building, the middle stage wall and the two side wings immediately adjoining it, the Parascene, the decoration could either be attached directly to them or had to be set up freely in front of them. The scenes usually take place in a place in front of a palace or temple, but in some pieces there is already a change, a scenic transformation. These transformations were operated in part by special machines, the periacts , which consisted of three prismatically united walls movable around a peg, each of which represented a different scene.

The scene decoration of the Roman theater does not seem to have differed significantly from that of the Greek. The stage building had a richer interior with the Romans, so that it represented the scene immediately. If another decoration was necessary, this was brought about by pushing it forwards or forwards (scena ductilis). Curtains were usually the norm.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Skene - Skien , page from Meyer's Konversationslexikon "retro | bib"

Web links

  • Richard Beacham, Hugh Denard, et al. a .: Theatricalism in the Roman House , The Skenographia Project, School of Theater Studies, University of Warwick 2002–2003