Theatricality in Painting

It sounds a bit strange, but actually it is not!

The word 'theatrical' is defined in Webster's' Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language as:

"of or pertaining to the theatre, or dramatic or scenic representations."

Historically, man has recorded his rituals, dance and religious practices of great importance in the form of 'cave painting', an archaic form of expression through images. Most of the cave paintings do possess the theatrical elements since those paintings captured a performance or an activity that was related to some ritual or religious doctrine, or the adventures and hunt scenes, which could easily be placed under the influence of theatricality. In the subcontinent as well, these themes had been common and respected since the Stone Age.

The earliest images in the caves of Bhimbetka with simplicity in drawing, linearity and movement of the figures, suggest the dance or hunt movements of the characters, a theatrical expression of the Mesolithic age.

Another ancient but comparatively modern concept of theatricality could be found in the time of Buddha (5th century BC) and in the form of the enactment of 'Jataka Stories' (Stories which revolve around Buddha's life and personality covering times even before his birth to his death, a documentation of Buddha's life and major events related to him) which were also carved in stone at the Stupa of Sanchi and Amravati, and painted on the rocks of Ajanta Caves. These stories, at the same time provided materials for actors and dancers of Ashoka (268-233 BC) period to act upon.

M L Varadpande has valued these stories in his book History of Indian Theatre as he traces theatricality within, in these words:

"Jataka stories can be described as an 'encyclopedia of contemporary Indian life' in all its aspects. These stories describe various previous births of Gautam Buddha and instructive episodes relating to them.... Many Jataka stories are artistically engraved on the stone railings and toranas of Buddhist monuments such as those at Bharhut, Sanchi and Amravati stupas and are painted on the walls of Ajanta canves. They present an approximate panorama of Indian life between 600 BC to 300 BC."

Since theatre is a form of art which records and imitates an event that has taken place in real life, but in some other period of time prior to the time of enactment, while painting is also a genre which, normally captures figures, scenes, subjects or emotions that have been there in existence prior to the moment of their rendering by the artist. Therefore, possibility of overlapping of characteristics from one genre to the other is plausible.

As a result, this feature could create painterly quality on a theatrical performance and at the same time, could infuse theatrical elements in a painting, since human concerns are behind both kind of artworks

The figurative painting in particular, out of other painting styles, always encompasses facial expressions and kinesics with or without relative backgrounds. On the other hand, same facial expressions and kinesics are the tools of an actor to seize the schmaltziness of the audience. Though the movement and second-by-second-change of mood and movement is an edge to the theatrical performance whereas same is tried, to be achieved in painting, through techniques of three dimensional perspective and visual illusions, that can add dynamism within and across a frame. So figures in a painting do exactly what characters of a theatre are for.

Real humans (actors) act out the desired emotions to convey them to the audience while performing in theater and in painting, the figures and portraits of human beings do the same through the quality and variation of their colors, texture, chiaroscuro and composition.

Both meaningful genres depict emotions related to life, most of the time, emotions of tragedy, and in between cheerful emotions of joy, for a change!

Aristotle argued in the Poetics that tragedy:

"is a representation, not of men, but of action and life, of 'happiness and unhappiness' and that 'happiness and unhappiness' are bound up with action"

As tragedy is the most important element behind any creation or expression which leads one to 'catharsis' and enhances the total impact of 'happiness' or 'unhappiness', the embodiment of these emotions are; characters or figures who represent these sentiments through their gestures, facial lexis and movements.

Moreover, 'light' is another factor in these artworks. Theatrical lighting, though has evolved on modern devices, has been cast to put emphasis on a certain character or event, or vice versa. In painting, dramatic light is a strong term of chiaroscuro, which artists like Caravaggio (1571-1610) exploited to the maximum. Another feature in this regard is the Impressionistic technique of painting, where capturing of passing time and changing light was done with quick brush strokes and by juxtaposition of pure pigments under the newly adopted 'RGB light theory' of nineteenth century. Many classic paintings, especially depicting the Biblical anecdotes used the chiaroscuro to distinguish holy and sacred figures or such events within a canvas. While the painted ceiling by Michelangelo (1475-1564) put on display the whole scene that could be enacted without any problem. It seem that actually he has painted a scene from any theatrical performance.

Later in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the Baroque style of painting with its ornate and exuberant nature, adopted theatricality with all it necessary and unnecessary elements. Since, exaggeration was a pivotal trait of the Baroque style in displaying movement and in depicting hyped emotions such as horror. The paintings and sculpture under Baroque, exploited theatricality at the utmost level.

Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863), a romanticist par excellence, with his mythological, adventurous, political and dramatic themes, which often were based either on his travelogues or on literature, added a sense of drama across as well as behind his canvasses. One can see such qualities in his famous painting 'the death of Sarandapalus' and 'Liberty leading the people'. Preceding him was Gericault (1791-1824), with his all famous painting 'The raft of the Medusa'. Gericault in his forceful frames presented the same theatre-like atmosphere, with elaborated actions and emotional renderings, which Delacroix perfected with more depth and precision.

Degas (1834-1917), a different kind of an impressionist, contrary to the overwhelming landscape painting trend of late nineteenth century impressionist painters, concentrated on portraying the ballad dancers and ballerina life, therefore, most of his frames exhibited theatrical and dramatic movements through his softly painted dancing figures.

Post-impressionist painter Toulouse Lautrec (1864-1901) with his painted feces and vividly clad figures, which was due to his deep concerns with the life of Circus people, added the dramatic elements in painting, he did in his own way.

In Pakistan, though art is not among priorities, even then it has excelled at its own grounds and through its own characteristics. Theatricality in Pakistani art, could be traced back in its early phase when Ustad Alla Baksh was painting articulate and lavish landscapes of pastoral life on the go, or the mysteriously rendered figurative compositions such as 'Talism-i Hoshruba'. In addition, the tradition of miniature painting, by virtue of Haji Sharif and Ustad Bashir, with its conventional hunting and battle scenes, kept alive the mode of happening on the soft surface of Vasili.

But one artist went beyond all limits in terms of injecting theatricality in his painting with his unique style and diversity of techniques, the mystic maestro; Sadequain.

Sadequain has dealt with his paintings in terms of characters, facial expressions, distortion, movement, texture, chiaroscuro and a planned and directed atmosphere created through the collective representation of all the mentioned elements on a larger than life scale. His characters in most of his paintings are 'alive' and dynamic in nature, always busy in their work or duties. They do not seem to be posed idly, just for the sake of painting.

The brush dipped in color, after being dragged upon the coarse surface of a canvass can create a spectrum based visual emotion. An actor, after being incarnated as a character, can communicate the same visual emotion in a different way.

Since the end result of both ways of expression is the communication of a feeling that forces the artist to creation; there is always a possibility of similarities.