Between two kinds of light: the evolution of scenography

Abstract

Spanish xviiith century scenography struggles between the light of reason and the light of faith and evolves from frontal perspective to oblique perspective, being the later more in accordance with the Enlightenment idea of theater. The unique vanishing point of frontal perspective represents infinity and the view point is identified with the king’s eye in courtly theater performances. The two vanishing points in oblique perspective blurs the identification of power with perspective as it places infinity out of the limits of the scene and makes scenography more available for everyone including actors. Also the height of the view point changes being lowered from the position of the king’s eye so that spectators in the stalls were able to appreciate better the perspective scene (Bails). On the other hand scenography also struggles between sun light in the «corrales» and artificial light in the roofed theaters. Even in these ones the struggle is between footlights and reflectors. But above all scenography moves between the light of reason and the light that the illusion of theater stage radiates.