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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2023

Witnesses of the Past: Studying Costumes as Material Evidence of the Ephemeral Performance

Résumé

The collection of 18th-century stage costumes, preserved in the Swedish archives (Royal Armoury, Royal Opera and Royal Palace), represents a rare example of garments worn during theatrical events in the past. They have been there, physically present on stage, participating in the action. Unfortunately, these direct witnesses are mute, they cannot offer us a continual narrative of what happened. However, their materiality can tell us something, if we learn how to read the garments, employing various senses. In my presentation, I will focus on the methodology of historical costume research, which starts with the garment in the archive and contains a comparative, collaborative, interdisciplinary and international approach, including the study of French costume designs, inventories, aesthetic and dance treatises from the period, and even experimental reconstruction. Since the early Swedish theatre repertoire included mainly French plays and operas, and the costumes were heavily inspired by French design – via imported drawings, but also by designers themselves – this study can offer insights into the practice on French stages as well, from where no material garments have been preserved. Some examples will show what can we learn from this process about costume’s relation to the movement (gesture, dance, breathing) in the past, its relation to the lighting in the historical theatre, and the overall effect on the audience.
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Dates et versions

hal-04298377 , version 1 (21-11-2023)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-04298377 , version 1

Citer

Petra Dotlacilova. Witnesses of the Past: Studying Costumes as Material Evidence of the Ephemeral Performance. Conference Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? The Ephemeral Perspective and the Material Image of the French Power: Arts, Spectacle, Theatre, and Fashion (1715-1815), Università Cà Foscari, Jun 2023, Venice (Ca' Foscari University), Italy. ⟨hal-04298377⟩
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