Court Yards (Sketch for Stage Scene ?) 1500 - 1600

This is a sketch in pen and brown ink, aptly titled "Court Yards (Sketch for Stage Scene ?)", by an anonymous artist. The sketch offers us a window into the theatrical imagination of its time, where the construction of space mirrors the social architecture of power and observation. The theatrical stage set evokes an almost dreamlike space of endless arches and receding courtyards. Two figures stand atop the structures. As we consider this staged world, think about who is allowed on stage and who is watching. The figures are frozen in dramatic poses, perhaps signaling the beginning of a play, or are they simply props? This piece reflects the period’s fascination with perspective and the ways in which it could be manipulated to create illusions of grandeur. The artist uses the structure of the stage itself to ask, who has the power of perspective? Consider how the sketch invites us to question the roles we play and the spaces we inhabit. It blurs the lines between reality and performance.