Exercise: Quick Studies (continued) Teatri 35

 Click Here to Link to the Website of Teatri 35 and click on 'foto' to see shots of the actors in action.

I have included the exercise with Teatri 35 from the Naples Urban Sketchers Workshop under this exercise because I think it is entirely appropriate to this part of the course.

We attended Riot Studios in Naples to see a performance of Tableaux Vivantes by this small theatre company. There were three actors. They performed a series of these tableaux accompanied by music. We were encouraged to draw the tableaux. Each one was based on a painting by Caravaggio or artists associated with him or similar in style. 

I had never seen a performance like this before. The actors were amazing - they were able to transform themselves in a way that left a lasting impression. Each pose was held for approximately 20 seconds so sketching was extremely rapid. It was also really quite dark in the studio so I decided that the best approach would be too draw blind without looking at the page (although I did glance at it from time to time). I found this quite liberating - I have always enjoyed blind drawing - this is partly because it generally produces quite confident and flowing linework but also because there is an excuse for the final drawing not looking as you had planned! This was a step further than my normal blind drawings though as the subject was so stimulating. The actors were able to convey the violence and movement of the paintings there were representing despite the fact that they were actually still (like the original paintings).

The drawings I produced do not reveal a likeness of any of the actors but I do like the movement that many of them have. Afterwards I went through the list of the tableaux we had seen and was able to identify which drawing related to each painting. In my sketchbook, I have placed alongside each sketch, a reproduction of the painting on which it was based. 

I really enjoyed this exercise. It almost makes up for the lack of life drawing classes locally (but not quite).

Based on: Pietà di Massimo Stanzione and Il Convitto di Assalonne di Mattia Thetis

Based on Caravaggio's Crocifissione di Sant'Andrea

Based on Castigo di Cupido by Bartolomeo Manfredi

Based on Caravaggio's San Matteo e L'angelo

Based on Judith and Holofernes by Artemesia Gentileschi

Based on Samson and Delilah by Rubens

Based on San Giacomo attributed to Jusepe di Ribera

Based on Madonna dei Pellegrini by Caravaggio

Based on Death of Cleopatra by Guido Reni

Based on Compianto sul Cristo Morto by Andrea Vaccaro