The Theatrical Canvas

(The Symbiotic Relationship Between Theatre And Painting)

  • Dr. Lina M Kattan Department of Drawing & Arts, College of Art & Design, University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
الكلمات المفتاحية: Painting, Theatre, Art History, Visual Arts, Performance, Interdisciplinary Art, Artistic Techniques, And Color Theory

الملخص

Since ancient Greece, theatre has influenced the evolution of painting, shaping the techniques employed by painters in their works. This paper argues that the symbiotic relationship between distinct forms of expression—painting and theatre—has revolutionized art history. This relationship has blurred the boundaries between dynamic and static art while enriching the viewer’s aesthetic experience. The paper explores the history of art and visual culture and shows how this intertwined connection has impacted both. Painters were inspired by theatrical narrative scenes, set designs, costumes, and stage mood; consequently, they transformed how they arranged their compositions, techniques, and color choices. Artists tried to capture fleeting moments of performance by rearranging their figures and gestures, using storytelling elements, and charging them with symbolism. Furthermore, artists innovated new artistic techniques and color selections to depict more dynamic and psychologically intense, undeniably theatrical works. Through this new approach, painters successfully connected various art forms. Artists amplified the emotional and psychological resonance of painting, which fostered significant art movements and motivated numerous artists to employ uncommon tools and approaches in their work. All these initiatives established a continuous discourse between theatre and painting, stimulated creativity through interdisciplinarity, and established avenues for innovative future expressions.

المراجع

1. Adams, Peter. Mystai: Dancing out the Mysteries of Dionysos. London: Scarlet Imprint, 2019.
2. Alpers, Svetlana. Rembrandt’s Enterprise: The Studio and the Market. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988.
3. Bay, Howard, Clive Baker and George Izenour. Encyclopedia Britannica. 07 04 2024. 11 2024. .
4. Berry, Elizabeth. 7 Breathtaking Paintings Inspired by Shakespeare’s Plays. 13 10 2023. 11 2024. .
5. Boztas, Senay. Dramatic Turn: How The Theatre Was Integral to Rembrandt’s Art. 04 03 2024. 11 2024. .
6. Christies's. Scene-stealers: Why 18th-Century Painters Were Obsessed with London’s Theatres. 01 07 2021. 11 2024. .
7. Encyclopedia Britannica. Medea. 26 10 2024. 11 2024. .
8. Golding, John. “The ‘Demoiselles d’Avignon’.” The Burlington Magazine 100.662 (1958): 155-163.
9. Google Arts & Culture. Theatrical Paintings. 2024. 11 2024. .
10. Gough, Kara. Theatre and the Threshold of Death: Lectures on the Dying Arts. London: Methuen Drama, 2024.
11. Haslam, Fiona. From Hogarth to Rowlandson: Medicine in Art in Eighteenth-Century Britain. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1996.
12. Jenell, Moore. The Art of Emotional Resonance: Acting Techniques That Touch the Soul. 30 01 2024. 11 2024. .
13. Kolen, Amy and Elizabeth Kraft. “Symbolism In the Portrayal of Women in Eighteenth-Century Ukiyo-E: The Courtesan Prints of Harunobu and Utamaro.” 1976. The University of Arizona. 11 2024.
14. .
15. Manca, Joseph. Andrea Mantegna and the Italian Renaissance. 09 September 2012. November 2024. .
16. Paluch-Mishur, Mary. “The Mutable Perspectives of Flight”: Futurist Aeropittura and the “Golden Age” of Aviation. Ann Arbor: The University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2004.
17. Pearce, Katty. ‘Inspired! Art Inspired by Literature, Theatre, And Music’ At London’s Guildhall Art Gallery. 26 04 2022. 11 2024. .
18. Petrová, Erika. “Art of Communication Paul Gauguin-An Interpretative Chameleon.” International Journal of Social Relevance & Concern 09.09 (2021).
19. Schneider, Rebecca. Performing Remains: Art and War in Times of Theatrical Reenactment. Routledge, 2011.
20. Stefano, Nicola Di and Charles Spence. “Crossmodal Harmony: Looking for the Meaning of Harmony Beyond Hearing.” I-Perception 13.01 (2022).
21. Stern, Daniel. Forms of Vitality: Exploring Dynamic Experience in Psychology, the Arts, Psychotherapy, and Development. London: Oxford University Press, 2010.
22. Stewart, Don. “Literature 1780-1830: The Romantic Period.” Year’s Work in English Studies 87.1 (2008): 668-760.
23. Stiles, Kristine and Peter Selz. Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art: A Sourcebook of Artists’ Writings. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2012.
24. Styan, John. Drama Stage and Audience. London: Cambridge University Press, 1975.
25. Tenneriello, Simona. “Behind the Scenes: Artwork and the Laboring Body in the Dance Images of Degas.” Dance Chronicle 38.01 (2015): 27-54.
26. Tobutt, Rosie. Top 10 Artworks Inspired by Shakespeare’s Plays. 25 10 2016. 11 2024. .
27. Tucker, Alexander. Virtual and Physical Environments in the Work of Pipilotti Rist, Doug Aitken, and Olafur Eliasson. Cincinnati: University of Cincinnati, 2012.
28. van Eck, Caroline and Stijn Bussels. “The Visual Arts and the Theatre in Early Modern Europe.” Art History 33.02 (2010): 208–223.
29. Walton, Mary Louise Hart and J. Michael. The Art of Ancient Greek Theater. California: Getty Publications, 2010.
30. Ward, Frazer. “Gray Zone: Watching ‘Shoot.” October 95 (2001): 115-130.
31. Westerman, Jonah. Standard Deviations: Reality, Reproducibility, and Politics in Performance Art since 1989. New York: City University of New York, 2014.
منشور
2025-09-19
كيفية الاقتباس
Dr. Lina M Kattan. (2025). The Theatrical Canvas : (The Symbiotic Relationship Between Theatre And Painting). Journal of Arts, Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, (124), 356-368. https://doi.org/10.33193/JALHSS.124.2025.1516
القسم
المقالات