Stage Set With Paintings And Statues 

Robert Caney made this watercolor stage set design sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It presents a fantastic, elaborate backdrop dominated by statuary, paintings of cavalry, and decorative lions. This is clearly a design for a theater that caters to the tastes of the upper classes in Europe, and we can explore the image’s meaning by examining its visual and cultural codes. This was a time of empire-building when nationalism and militarism were on the rise, and so it is no surprise to see equestrian statues and martial paintings combined with classical motifs. The lion has long been a symbol of Britain, so we might also assume this is a set for a London theater. We can better understand this work and its public role by researching playbills, theater histories, biographies of set designers, and other archival resources that illuminate the relationship between art and theatrical culture. By examining this design in its social and institutional context, we can see how art helps shape cultural values.