Harlequin on the Moon: Commedia dell'Arte and the Visual Arts: Commedia Dell'Arte and the Visual Arts (Hardcover)

Review
The Commedia dell'Arte has a long history. Invented in the Renaissance as a popular entertainment, it has survived to the present day in experimental theatre and in Punch and Judy shows. The characters of Harlequin, Columbine and Pierrot have inspired artists from Tiepolo and Watteau to Picasso and Hockney, and composers from Schumann to Stravinsky. Playwrights have also been stimulated by these fanciful characters, including Shakespeare and Moliere. Diaghilev's Ballets Russes created Petrushka and Parade - music by Satie, choregraphy by Massine - and Nijinksy danced harlequin in The Carnival in 1910. The curious interaction of the Commedia dell'Arte and the visual arts, the history of the whole strange concept and its lasting inspiration - 'the first modern theatre' - are closely studied in this copiously illustrated work. (Kirkus UK)

Synopsis
Since its invention as a popular entertainment in Renaissance Italy, commedia's absurd and witty plots and charming personalities have captivated audiences as well as painters and sculptors. Artists through the ages have found inspiration in commedia's distinctive costumes, masks, and poignant figures, Harlequin, Columbine and Pierrot. Commedia dell'arte is the first modern theatre - inspiration to Shakespeare, Moliere, Mozart and Balanchine, and forerunner of the modern stage comedy. This work traces the history of commedia from the court of the Sun King, through ballet and opera, to the experimental performance theatre of today. It also explores why visual artists including Tiepolo, Watteau, Picasso and Hockney have been drawn to its characters and themes. Lynne Lawner unearths rare plays, relates theatrical gossip, and shows why commedia's characters and their classic stories have come to life again and again, in myriad styles of theatre and art.