Giving specific examples, describe design practices in Europe before the nineteenth century. What ...

In Europe, before the mid-nineteenth century, established conventions governed set and costume choices. Theatrical designers adhered to these conventions and did not see themselves as interpreters of a specific play. Often design choices were left to actors and company managers and resulted from practical necessity more than specific artistic choices. In ancient Greece and Rome, the architectural wall behind the actors served as a stage set for every play. Actors wore everyday Greek dress for plays set in Greece and daily Roman dress for those set in Rome. During the Middle Ages, costume and set elements for religious dramas were based on iconic imagery from painting and sculpture. During the Renaissance, professional artists painted detailed wings, drops, and stage floors to create the illusion of a three-dimensional world receding toward a central vanishing point beyond the limits of the actual stage. These sets were visually impressive and functioned as a backdrop for the actors. However, these designs were not text specific: Actors in comedy and tragedy wore contemporary fashions on stage and usually supplied their own costumes. In Europe, throughout the eighteenth century, many theatres maintained a stock of sets and costumes that were reused for many plays. Therefore, the costume and set designs were only loosely connected to a play's time and location or to particular characters and themes.