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William Hogarth, Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn, 1738
The playbill in the lower left reveals that the troupe is holding its last performance before a new law takes effect banning unlicensed theater. Much of the humor here derives from contrasts between the actresses' roles as Roman goddesses and the earthy realities of their lives. The central figure, playing the chaste goddess Diana, strikes a pose reminiscent of classical sculptures depicting Diana as a huntress. Here the lack of bow and arrow renders the gesture meaningless and the actress uses one hand to hitch up her shift to her thighs. Contemporary associations of actresses with prostitution would have added to the irony of her role. All around Diana humble props and activities strip away the illusions of the stage: in the lower right, for example, Juno practices her lines, her book resting on a makeshift noisemaker, while another goddess mends her stocking. |