Inigo Jones left a legacy in more than one way. He could easily be considered a Renaissance man with his involvement in so many different fields. This is perhaps due to Vitruvius's belief that architects should have practical and theoretical knowledge in all sciences, arts and nature (Cartwright). Inigo greatly influenced the field of technical theater through his life contributions and varied careers. Although he was interested in costumes, architecture, lighting, landscape art and stage design, he is well known for his developments in technical theater. Without Inigo Jones, technical theater as we know it would be very different. Inigo Jones influenced his successors and created the world of technical theater we know today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Little is known about Inigo Jones' early life or how he became the renowned architect and stage designer he is well known for to this day. . The first evidence of Inigo's early career was that he had served an apprenticeship with a carpenter long before his father's death. His father, also Inigo Jones, was a textile worker who died in 1597. Inigo's life between his father's death and the year 1603 remains a mystery. In 1603 we first hear of Inigo as having the profession of "image maker". At this time, the term "picture maker" was used to distinguish painters of buildings from those who painted pictorial compositions. Inigo's profession was one of the latter (Summerson). Shortly after, Inigo was sent to Italy to study drawing. In Italy, Inigo learned perspective drawing and landscapes (Summerson). Inigo Jones' trip to Italy was a pivotal moment for his career and legacy. Not only did Inigo hone his drawing skills, but he also learned new ways of thinking and designing which he took back to England. The classical architecture and scenic elements he brought from Italy “[inaugurated] an era of classical elegance, proportion and harmony” (HISTORYUK). He was introduced to the proscenium arch which he became familiar with in British theatre. His introduction to the Italian landscape included moving landscapes arranged in perspective. Inigo Jones' set used a series of shutters that slid in and out using grooves in the floor. He even flew over landscapes from above and introduced colored lighting by placing candles behind tinted glass (Worsley). At the court of Florence, Jones studied the work of Giulio Parigi. After 1630, Inigo's drawings were almost all copied from Parigi's interludes (Brockett). Inigo owned a copy of Palladio's treatise on architecture in which he wrote notes comparing Palladio's idea with those of Serlio, Scamozzi and Vignola to name a few (Brockettt). In order to understand how Inigo Jones took what he learned in Italy and adapted it for the British stage, it is important to note how perspective sets came to be. Around 15 BCE, Vitruvius wrote De Architectura, in which he detailed exactly what he thought architecture should entail. Much more than a book about buildings and machines, the contents of De Architectura reveal the ancients' much broader conception of what exactly "architecture" is. » and it describes subjects such as science, mathematics, geometry, astronomy, astrology, medicine, meteorology, philosophy and the importance of the effects of architecture, bothaesthetic and practical, on the daily lives of citizens. In short, according to Vitruvius, the successful architect and engineer must possess both theoretical and practical knowledge based on a broad and deep understanding of all sciences, the arts, and even nature. Most importantly, for Vitruvius, buildings must always be three things: beautiful, stable and useful (Cartwright). The first notable figure in perspective landscape was Filippo Brunelleschi. He discovered a mathematical system for linear perspective. This created an illusion of space and distance on a flat surface, usually a painted backdrop. While still early in his architectural career (probably around 1410–1415), Brunelleschi rediscovered the principles of perspective construction known to the Greeks and Romans but buried along with many other aspects of ancient civilization during the European era. Middle Ages. Brunelleschi demonstrated his findings with two painted panels, now lost, depicting Florentine streets and buildings. It is clear from Manetti's descriptions that Brunelleschi understood the notion of a single vanishing point, towards which all parallel lines drawn on the same plane seem to converge, and the principle of the relationship between distance and the diminution of objects as they move. 'they seem to be moving away. in space. Using the optical and geometric principles on which Brunelleschi's perspective devices were based, artists of his generation were able to produce works of astonishing realism. On two-dimensional surfaces, they managed to create extraordinary illusions of three-dimensional space and tangible objects, so that the artwork appears either as an extension of the real world or as a mirror of nature. Although the laws governing perspective construction were brought to light by Brunelleschi, they were first codified by the humanist architect Leon Battista Alberti. In 1435, Alberti exhibited them in Della pittura (“On Painting”), his famous treatise on painting, which included a warm dedication to Brunelleschi – no doubt an expression of Alberti's debt to his friend's revolutionary discovery ( Hyman). At Serlio we have a few notable figures who were instrumental in Inigo Jones learning the principles of stage design that he later instituted. Leon Battista Alberti publishes Brunelleschi's secret in Della Pitture, the first treatise on the geometric principles of linear perspective. Pellegrino da San Daniele placed individual houses in front of a painted backdrop for a production of Ariosto's Casket in Ferrara. It is believed that he used these houses as sloping wings. Sabitini wrote about the problems of scene changes and the use of devices such as sliding rails placed in grooves on the stage floor to facilitate scenery changes. He also developed a device to simulate the movement of special effects such as waves or clouds. Jones passed on his borrowed knowledge to Webb who, in turn, entered the English scene and inaugurated a tradition that would be improved and refined throughout the Restoration (Helton). Next, Sebastiano Serlio published Architetura, the first work detailing design. and the construction of a court theater (Wild). Serlio's playhouse was erected in an existing large hall (a state room) in the courthouse, a common practice of the time. The stage, located at one end of the room, was raised to eye level with the sovereign and the perspective setting was designed to provide a perfect view of the royal chair. The front half of the stage floor was level, the back halfwas tilted towards the back wall, increasing the illusion of depth. The scenery was placed on the inclined (or inclined) part of the stage. Serlio's sets (Comic, Tragic and Pastoral) consisted of four sets of wings (the first three were inclined – one face parallel to the front edge of the stage and the other inclined upwards – and the fourth wing was flat and parallel to the audience) and a backdrop or rear shutter. Its sets were designed in architectural terms. They were not meant to be offbeat (Wild). Then Giovan Battista Aleotti introduced the flat wing in Ferrara as opposed to the usual canted wings. His most notable work is the Teatro Farnese in Parma. The Farnese Theater was the largest and most extravagant theater built at that time. This theater combined a U-shaped auditorium with a new concept: the proscenium arch. The Farnese Theater still stands and is the first prototype of the proscenium arch structure. This was the first time the audience was given a framework to view a game's action through (Tidworth). Giovan Battista Aleotti is also known for his work as a hydraulic and military engineer. He instituted this work at the Teatro Farnese with the first mobile set in the history of the theater (Tidworth). The stage is deep enough to equip nine to ten rows of sliding trays. However, the action was not intended to be limited to this area; it could spread across the arena in front of the scaenaefrons and even in the middle of the U-shaped rows of seats (Tidworth). » Inigo Jones introduced this Italian concept of perspective scenery into the theater of the English court of James I. he used angled wings in his designs as well as a rear flap, as seen in his production of Ben Jonson's The Masque of Blackness. Three years later, Inigo began to frame his set with a proscenium and in the 1630s he abandoned the use of Serlio's canted wings for flat wings which he learned were much more practical (Wild). From Italy he went to Denmark where he worked. for King Christian on the design of Rosenborg and Frederiksborg palaces. Inigo became much more popular when he helped bring masks to the stage while collaborating with Ben Jonson. The masks were allegorical stories suggesting parallels between the person being honored and a mythological character or event. The story and its symbolism were usually presented through visual elements such as dance, props, pantomime and sets (Brockett). Inigo Jones and Ben Jonson teamed up for many years on masks. "The mask as a genre arose from various court entertainments and popular customs, was fully developed during the reigns of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, and became almost immediately obsolete during the British Civil War due to the challenge to the monarchy (Donaldson). Jonson wrote the masks and Jones designed the costumes and sets. Their first collaboration was on The Masque of Blackness in December 1604. Jones had been traveling for some years and had only just returned to London, so it is quite possible that they had not known each other long when they began working together ( Donaldson). The start of their relationship was difficult. Jonson had never traveled to Italy but had a classical training superior to that of Inigo. Jonson mocked Jones for reciting an incorrect name in Vitruvius' De Architectura. This is probably because Inigo read an Italian translation rather than the original Latin form that Jonson was familiar with. More shockingly, Jonson made fun of Inigo's upbringing which was not far removed from his own. Johnsonsuggests that Jones was raised on borrowed money. He also suggests that Inigo's first job as a carpenter was embarrassing. Since Jonson was a mason, he didn't get off to a much better start in life than Inigo (Donaldson). Although they both started small, they were about to form an astonishing partnership for the new royal dynasty. Their alliance flourished for more than two decades. After a series of successful collaborations, Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones part ways. Ultimately, Jonson accused Inigo of being an example of stage changes and transformations. Jonson believed that they intentionally had more predominance in the masks than in Jonson's poetry. In fact, “The Mask of Oberon” from 1611 cost over £2,000 and the costumes alone cost over £1,000. Jonson was only paid £40 for writing the script (Kinney). The nature of the masks was intended for a one night performance. After the performance, the set was dismantled and spectators often took pieces of it as souvenirs. The difference between the work of Inigo Jones and that of [Jonson] could therefore be represented analogically (according to Jonson) as that between the body and the soul: the former, condemned in time to be "completely forgotten", the latter to be preserved eternally (Donaldson). Basically, Jonson didn't like that his work earned him a small portion of what Inigo's sets and show cost. He believed his work would survive forever. Jonson did not think that Inigo's work, which was demolished on the same day as the performance, would be remembered for years or centuries. This analogy fails to capture what Jonson actually thought about Jones' work. Jonson highly valued his partner's artistry and creativity. Jonson knew that Inigo's work created visual symbolism for his own writings on court masks (Stratford-Upon-Avon Studies). In 1642, theaters were closed due to a civil war that broke out in England. The closure of theaters was supposed to prevent public unrest. Theaters remained closed for eighteen years, causing considerable hardship for all theater professionals. The Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, opposed theatrical performances, which put them at odds with King Charles I who promoted theater at his court. The year 1656 was a pivotal year for theater and the work of Inigo Jones. William Davenant managed to produce "The Siege of Rhodes" at his home, The Rutland House, which featured the sets and leading actress (Stratford-Upon-Avon Studies). He staged it with mobile sets arranged in perspective, which would prove very influential. This was one of the first uses of Inigo's Italianate landscape. The Italianate landscape was a combination of Italian and French influences coupled with the re-emergence of certain elements of court masks of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Masks were a toy for the nobility, an interior extravagance without literary value but offering a dramatic spectacle. John Webb was the student, son and lawmaker of the famous mask designer Inigo Jones. During the reign of Charles I, Jones created elaborate stages and costumes for the masqueraders and helped redesign banquet halls to accommodate stages up to 35 feet wide and 25 feet deep, equipped with trapdoors and machines for handling masks. landscape from below. Many of Jones' ideas were taken directly from the writings of Italian designer Sébastien Serlio in his published work D'Architechturra. Serlio created detailed drawings of three classic stage designs, all..