VIVIANA FULFUC
INTRODUCING PERIAKTOI A comprehensive study on illusionistic scenery from the Hellenistic to the Renaissance era. Tutor: R ichard Difford
INTRODUCTION The topic of this paper, periaktoi1, originate in the Greek Theatre and are essentially a type of painted scenery. They were first mentioned in Vitruvius’ De Architecture.2 According to his description3, this device is a “triangular piece of stage machinery, which revolves, having three decorated faces.”4 Each side bore a different image painted on it, so when it rotates to the second or third side, it reveals another image, hence indicating a change of scene. The periaktoi’s decorations suggested a location, traditionally represented through “waves, trees, or the column of the building.”5 Adopted and improved for the Renaissance stage, periaktoi eventually became regarded as telari6, representing illusionistic painted scenes of gardens, palaces and city landscapes.7 Along with the development of painting, the locations displayed on the periaktoi’s faces became so carefully detailed, that when a row of painted periaktoi were used together, their faces composed a life-like depiction of a scene.8 Little is known about the periaktoi and is not clear how these scenic devices evolved throughout the centuries and what impact they had on the development of theatre. This dissertation takes the form of a casestudy on the use of periaktoi in different contexts and within different historical periods – primarily the Hellenistic and the Renaissance. DECONSTRUCTING THE ILLUSION Besides representing a classical device for scene changing between acts of the theatrical performances9, the use of periaktoi through the Renaissance stage emerged through the performance of the intermezzi, “generating spectacular effects on stage than with the simple perspective scene.”10 The interludes, or intermezzi, were short representations, inserted between the acts of the actual plays11, allowing for the change of scenery according to the three types of drama.12 Starting in 1480s,13 the intermezzi reached a higher level of complexity within the Medici court representations, developing to such an extent that they required an alternative setting from that of the main performance.14 It was not until the 1586 when the first permanent theatre was established in the Uffizi palace, designed to accommodate up to four thousand people.15
“Perspective replaced the system of symbolic reference. Perspective now provided this art with the additional option of objective representation, as it might appear to the eye and, like virtual reality today, it inclined in the direction of deception or, rather, related to it to a greater or lesser extent.” 16
effective on-stage illusionism may lie in the findings of Simonson, who suggests that despite the Renaissance being an “era of discovery”21, the majority of people had a limited knowledge in the art of scenography. This did not necessarily meant that they were easily deceived into trusting what they saw; instead, they were able to accept the stage with an unprecedented confidence.22 It may be the case that the fifteenth-century society, unaccustomed yet to the impressive sight of perspective painted scenery, was fantasising about the idea of a complete control that the Renaissance promoted. Although the on-stage representation reflected a striking realism through perspective painting and stage devices, the audience’ perception of reality might have been strongly influenced by the surrounding society. Having the public affirming its wisdom and praising the “man’s total comprehension of the laws of the nature”23, the Renaissance stage was able to promote a naturalism through the painted scenery that would had not been possible under different circumstances. These epistemological beliefs can be equally applied to the Greeks, whose staged representations were directed towards realism, despite their unmistakable systems of signs. One again, they understood the limitations of the scene representations available at the time, yet they were accepting the paradoxical24 illusion unfolding in front of them.25 Therefore, if trying to consider the periaktoi’s standpoint in a contrasting cultural Greek and Renaissance context, it can be argued that the scenic devices can only promulgate their illusionary power proportionally with the understanding of each generation. The convention of the stage representation was present throughout the development of the theatre, from its Hellenistic stage to the late Renaissance. The types of drama performed subordinated the context, hence the scenery tend to convey the same rules drawn by the Greeks (the set elements for tragic, comic, and for the satiric26) .
unification and harmonisation of such an eclectic system. The symbolism carried by the Greek theatre experienced an embellished stylization starting with the sixteenth century and we have the periaktoi to prove the ongoing legacy of the earliest stage conventions. The prismatic units have stayed at the base of the perspective scenery, building the illusion in the Renaissance. Even if their purpose was to detach from the Greek symbolism and create a complete pictorial space, the periaktoi generated a strong convention in the theatre of illusions of the Renaissance era. Although developed and much stylised, the perspective stage became a theatrical convention that carried on to the modern theatre.
EPILOGUE Tracing back the development of the periaktoi, what seems to have started as a strictly emblematic object was reconditioned for the time and place. The versatility of this scenic device allowed for a diverse augmentation of the theatre stage, standing as a key element in the 21 Simonson, L., The Stage Is Set, (1963), p. 57 22 Simonson, op. cit., p. 264 23 Strong, R., Splendour At Court: Renaissance Spectacle And Illusion, (1973), p. 76 24 Simonson, op. cit., p. 140 25 Ibid., pp. 140-141. 26 Wiles, The Masks of Menander, p. 42. Danti’s diagrams. Le due regole della prospettiva practica, 1583.
Inspired by the ancient theatre, Aristotile San Gallo designed the temporary theatre structure according to the single-point perspective, the fixed eye point placed in the middle of the courtyard and attributed to the duke.17 Given the level of control which San Gallo had over the position of the spectators in relation to the stage, it could be argued that the set designer had the power to determine the spectator’s perception, the audience being ‘almost forced to look at things in a certain way’.18 The novelty of these stage machines19 and hidden nature of their operation undoubtedly accentuated the audience’s astonishment at the scene change they produced.20 Further evidence supporting an Yourdictionary.Com. ”Periaktoi Dictionary Definition | Periaktoi Defined”, (2016) Law, J., The Methuen Drama Dictionary of The Theatre, (2013), p. 384 Cartwright, M., “Vitruvius.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, (2015) Morris, H. M., Ten books on architecture, (2006), book V, chap. VI Law, J., The Methuen Drama Dictionary of The Theatre, (2013), p. 384 Ibid. Serlio, S. and Santaniello, A. E. The book of architecture by Sebastiano Serlio 1611, (1980), Third chap., fol. 25 8 Nicoll, A., The Development Of The Theatre. (1967), p. 72, pp. 79-92 9 Kernodle, G. R., The Renaissance Stage, (1958), pp. 182-183 10 Buccheri, A., The Spectacle Of Clouds, (2014), p. 75 11 Strong, R., Splendour At Court: Renaissance Spectacle And Illusion, (1973), p. 179 12 Serlio and Santaniello, fol. 25-26 13 Buccheri, op. cit., p. 75 14 Pirrotta N. & Povoledo E. , Music & Theatre From Poliziano To Monteverdi, (1982), p. 346 15 Nagler, A. M., Theatre Festivals Of The Medici, (1964), p. 3 16 Grau, O., Virtual art : from illusion to Immersion, (2003), p. 37 17 Buccheri, p. 74 18 Strong, p. 73 19 Mohler, F., “Medici Wings: The Scenic Wing Change In Renaissance Florence.” (2003), p. 9 20 Vignola, ed. Danti E., Le due regole della prospettiva practica (1583), p. 92 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Model of Danti’s periaktoi with a reconstructred scene for La Vedova. Fulfuc, Viviana. Cardboard model. 2016.