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The Image of the Actor Shearer West

The Image of the Actor By Shearer West

The Image of the Actor by Shearer West


$100.99
Condition - Very Good
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Summary

A synthesis which questions the literal acceptance of visual evidence by theatre historians by analyzing verbal and visual material relating to 18th-century actors, and which interprets that material in terms of what it reveals about social, political and aesthetic codes at the time.

The Image of the Actor Summary

The Image of the Actor: Verbal and Visual Representation in the Age of Garrick and Kemble by Shearer West

The mistake of interpreting 18th-century theatrical portraits too literally has been made since the 19th century when a different set of artistic codes prevailed. The image of the 18th-century actor which we can obtain from prints, paintings and pamphlets of the time, is not a collection of visual truths, but a construction based on critical canons, aesthetic prejudices, and commercial motivations prevalent during the period. Through an analysis of the importance of theatre among all the pleasures and pastimes enjoyed by 18th-century Londoners the author presents a detailed picture of the cultural climate inhabited by the actor and his audience. The overwhelming fascination they had with the actor provides the background to an analysis of the function of the theatrical portrait, the burgeoning economy of the engraver, and the illustrator. Concepts of classicism and realism are explored in terms of how Garrick and Kemble will have been viewed in their work. The author also draws an interesting analogy between the aesthetics of action and sculptural representation through the work of Siddons, and goes on to consider the representation of the comic actor and how it was informed by art and art theory.

Table of Contents

The public image of the actor - criticism, status and audience response; the theatrical portrait; constructions of realism and classicism; tragedy, history painting and the aesthetics of action; the comic actor - physiognomy and the fallacy of infinite character.

Additional information

GOR008238575
9781855671676
1855671670
The Image of the Actor: Verbal and Visual Representation in the Age of Garrick and Kemble by Shearer West
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
1993-04-16
204
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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