DOI Heft:
No. 316 (July 1919)
DOI Artikel:The art of the theatre: Mr. C. Lovat Fraser's designs for ''As you like it''
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21358#0080
THE ART OF THE THEATRE
COSTUME AND ARMORIAL
DEVICES USED IN “AS
YOU LIKE IT ” DESIGNED
BY C. LOVAT FRASER
and colour in the background and pro-
perties as parts of one of those missal
pages or tapestries which served him as
the clue for the designs of the costumes,
quite an extraordinary unison of effect has
been achieved. While the designs are by
no means realistically accurate they are,
at the same time, free from the danger of
revolutionary exaggeration. 0 0
Throughout the acts the scheme of
decoration is appreciated in a moment,
but is not so insistent as to be a detriment
to the play. Remarkable results are ob-
tained with a great economy of means by
the adoption of a vigorous and broad
treatment of backgrounds, an entire absence
of irrelevant and disturbing details, and
by holding all the stage pictures firmly
within definite outlines. The designer
has combined the essential features of
each scene to express the maximum of
suggestiveness. These methods lead to
the result that the quality of his settings
strikes a radical, simple, and at the same
time exceedingly beautiful note, 0 0
The costumes to the smallest detail
were executed by the artist himself, who
had only the assistance of his wife in this
64
formidable task. He did not use costly
fabrics and rare materials, but chose ordi-
nary unbleached holland, which he dyed
himself to obtain the desired colours.
These are invariably of a pure and clear
hue. The materials are patterned in a
delightful manner, and the character of
their wearer is not unfrequently expressed
with quiet humour. The tight-fitting,
parti-coloured tunics—small-waisted and
with padded shoulders—worn in the Court
circles are all in the most vivid colours :
vermilion, emerald, lemon-yellow, crim-
son, cobalt; there are no half-shades. A
pleasing sense of elasticity is created by
toning down—as becomes their humbler
station—the clothes worn by the figures
in the forest scenes, but although colours
are here subdued, the note of freshness and
gaiety is not impaired. 000
The designs for the backgrounds are
reduced to the simplest form, and treated
with vigorous outlines and firm execution.
Against their cold tones of blues and
greenish blues the characters, costumed in
vivid colours, brilliant orange and vermilion
predominating, form the complements of
the colour-scheme. 0 0 E. O. H.
COSTUME AND ARMORIAL
DEVICES USED IN “AS
YOU LIKE IT ” DESIGNED
BY C. LOVAT FRASER
and colour in the background and pro-
perties as parts of one of those missal
pages or tapestries which served him as
the clue for the designs of the costumes,
quite an extraordinary unison of effect has
been achieved. While the designs are by
no means realistically accurate they are,
at the same time, free from the danger of
revolutionary exaggeration. 0 0
Throughout the acts the scheme of
decoration is appreciated in a moment,
but is not so insistent as to be a detriment
to the play. Remarkable results are ob-
tained with a great economy of means by
the adoption of a vigorous and broad
treatment of backgrounds, an entire absence
of irrelevant and disturbing details, and
by holding all the stage pictures firmly
within definite outlines. The designer
has combined the essential features of
each scene to express the maximum of
suggestiveness. These methods lead to
the result that the quality of his settings
strikes a radical, simple, and at the same
time exceedingly beautiful note, 0 0
The costumes to the smallest detail
were executed by the artist himself, who
had only the assistance of his wife in this
64
formidable task. He did not use costly
fabrics and rare materials, but chose ordi-
nary unbleached holland, which he dyed
himself to obtain the desired colours.
These are invariably of a pure and clear
hue. The materials are patterned in a
delightful manner, and the character of
their wearer is not unfrequently expressed
with quiet humour. The tight-fitting,
parti-coloured tunics—small-waisted and
with padded shoulders—worn in the Court
circles are all in the most vivid colours :
vermilion, emerald, lemon-yellow, crim-
son, cobalt; there are no half-shades. A
pleasing sense of elasticity is created by
toning down—as becomes their humbler
station—the clothes worn by the figures
in the forest scenes, but although colours
are here subdued, the note of freshness and
gaiety is not impaired. 000
The designs for the backgrounds are
reduced to the simplest form, and treated
with vigorous outlines and firm execution.
Against their cold tones of blues and
greenish blues the characters, costumed in
vivid colours, brilliant orange and vermilion
predominating, form the complements of
the colour-scheme. 0 0 E. O. H.