Renaissance Masques
of
Ben Jonson & Inigo Jones
A Brief Visual Tour
Ben Jonson
Inigo Jones
Italianate Staging
In 1605 Inigo Jones introduced Italianate
staging to the court in his production of
Ben Jonson's The Masque of Blackness.
On a proscenium stage at one end of the
hall, Jones erected a perspective setting
which made use of wings, borders and a
front curtain, an arrangement current in
Italy. Jones would continue to produce
masques in this manner until the fall of
the English monarchy in 1642.
Jack Wolcott
http://ascc.artsci.washington.edu/drama/
flortext.html
Inigo Jones. Based on the portrait by Van Dyck
Inigo Jones
The son of a London cloth-worker, Inigo Jones studied
painting and architecture in Italy through the generosity of
his patron, the Earl of Pembroke. He returned to London in
1605 as Queen Anne's architect. Jones was also in charge
of the production of court masques, creating innovative
stage and costume designs. He collaborated frequently with
Ben Jonson until their argument in 1631, after which Jonson
was dismissed from his post. Jones' connections at court
proved unfortunate, however; as a royalist, he was
persecuted after the civil war and died in poverty.
Jones' stage designs for court masques drew on Italian
style and technique; he introduced for the first time in
England the "picture-stage," framed by a proscenium arch
and concealed by a curtain. He also developed a system of
changing scenes with movable flats and shutters. By 163040 both innovations were being used in private theatres.
The Antimasque
Partly because the
antimasque often
involved grotesque
costumes, the parts
were played by
professionals. The
dignified main masque
was performed by
members of the Court.
In The Tempest,
Stephano, Trinculo,
and Caliban perform a
function similar to the
antimasque.
Jack Cade, from an antimasque
by Inigo Jones. 1853
Authentic representations of masque
The following images were taken from
http://virtual.park.uga.edu/cdesmet/jon
masq/slide1.htm, which in turn were
taken from The King's Arcadia: Inigo
Jones and the Stuart Court, ed. John
Harris, Stephen Orgel, and Roy Strong
(London: Arts Council of Britain,
1973); and Inigo Jones and the Theatre
of the Stuart Court, ed. Stephen Orgel
and Roy Strong, 2 vols. (Berkeley: U of
California P, 1973).
Female Masquer
A Male Masquer
Ethiopian Soldier & Ethiopian Woman
Sketch By Inigo Jones
A Dwarf, as sketched by Inigo
Jones,
Three Fairies from the Masque of Oberon
Oberon, from The Masque of Oberon
Daughter of Niger from The Masque of Blackness
Lucy Harrington, Countess of Bedford as a Masquer
Penthesilea from The Masque of Queens
A modern reproduction of a Masquer's Gowne for
Penthesilea, Queene of the Amazones
This particular costume was drawn together
from the costume designs for the 1589
Masque La Pellegrina and elements found in
Inigo Jones' masque costume designs of the
early 17th century, with some influence from
Arcimboldo's masque drawings of the 1590s
and 16th century books of foreign dress, such
as Vecellio.
The design around the bottom is reminiscent
of the petticoat worn by one of the female
masquers drawn by Inigo Jones in the early
17th century.
Oberson's Palace from The Masque of Oberon
and Scene from Prince Henry's Barriers
Banqueting House Whitehall, London,
Inigo Jones (1573-1652) 1619-22
The Banqueting House is an entirely original
interpretation of the Palladian town palace.
Particularly distinctive is Jones's emphasis on
generous breadth. This results in a beautifully
balanced and proportioned two-story facade which
is topped by a flat ballustraded roof.
Characteristically the architect gives great
attention to detail. Notice the alternation of
segmental and triangular pediments, the swags
carved at capital level, and the finely rusticated
stone. The Banqueting House was commissioned by
James I and was Jones's first important building.
Interior of Banqueting House, Whitehall, by
Inigo Jones,London:1619-22
Despite the
appearance of two
stories on the facade,
the interior is a single
large room with the
proportions of a double
cube. A gallery marks
the place of the first
entablature outside,
and the columns and
pilasters of the
exterior are repeated
on the interior wall.
The entrance is at the
side of the building,
set off by pairs of
Ionic columns. The
ceiling painting by
Peter Paul Rubens was
put up in 1635
Peter Paul Rubens Ceiling, Banqueting House,
Whitehall
Inigo Jones' installation at Whitehall
for the Masque, Florimène
Florimène- Sectional View of the Stage