Funding Enttity: Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/EAT/69595/2006)
Principal Researcher: Maria João Brilhante
Research Unit: CET – Centre for Theatre Studies
Duration: 01-07-2007 a 30-04-2011 (52 months)
Founding: 148.926,00 euros
Abstract: Project consists in collecting, identifying and studying a set of images that are interesting to restore theatre as has been produced in Portugal. This iconographic heritage will be treated and made available through a data basis in a CD-Rom that will allow for the research on images, including its relational study, thus providing a working tool for national and foreign researchers in theatre.\nWe shall try to map the reality according to four different typologies of materials and respective research procedures that in a first moment will run side by side as far as collecting and identification are concerned: 1) Book illustration (16th and 17th centuries): a limited set of editions of plays by authors such as Gil Vicente, Sá de Miranda, as well as anonymous texts that came out from print offices such as those of António Álvares, Domingos Carneiro, André de Burgos among others, without, in some cases, an explicit indication of publisher, therefore requiring a comparative study of the illustrations that will prove to be of the utmost import. 2) Plans of venues, sketches for set designs, maquettes, engravings: this repertoire includes images of theatre and opera venues (Teatro da Rua dos Condes, Ópera do Tejo, Teatro do Salitre, Teatro de S. Carlos), as well as sketches by Giovani Carlo Bibiena, Inácio Oliveira Bernardes, Manini.3) Portraits of artists (from the end of 18th cent. till the end of the 20th): this set will make it possible to register the process of building up the social image of the artist. It will begin with Luísa Todi’s portraits, it will comprise the emergence of photographic record and its developments along the 20th century. 4)Theatre and fine arts in Portugal: identification of the different modalities of relationship and inter-art contamination. Regarding the 20th century, some of the themes, motives, figures related to theatre that can be detected in some artists’ drawings and paintings will be perused. It is the case, among others, of Abel Manta and his drawings inspired by Shakespeare’s plays.\nThe second moment of the project will study those images, ascribing legends to them and evaluating their diversified and complex relationship with theatre.\ndentifying and studying a set of images.