I just posted the following to my Facebook Group “Dry Pigment.” Every day, I explore one historic scene or design.
Below are images of a backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Manufacturer unknown at this time. However, it illustrates a point that I have been writing about. This composition shows the use of glazes, building up a shape/composition from light to dark. The use of glazing was associated with the English tradition and those scenic artists who were trained in London before working in the States. This tradition primarily settled in the East Coast and some West Coast areas. That is not to say that examples are not found elsewhere. Two schools of scenic art were established in the United States during the nineteenth century: the English tradition of glazing and the European use of opaque washes. The use of opaque washes was characteristic of many Midwestern studios, such as Sosman & Landis. I have written quite a bit about each scenic art, just do a keyword search on the subject.
A historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Detail of a historic backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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