英文摘要 |
David Garrick's natural acting ability made the actor-manager a star on the London stage for over 30 years. His fans eagerly collected images of him. As much as painters loved to paint Garrick, Garrick himself loved to be painted. More than 300 portraits and pictures of Garrick, far more than those of his contemporaries, are known to exist. One of these, the engraved picture of Hogarth’s oil painting of Garrick as Richard the Third, became the most popular theatrical image in 18th century England. It has been included in books related to the history of Western theatre, and presented as evidence of Garrick’s natural acting. However, without further explanation, how can this picture help the viewers understand Garrick’s art of acting without falling into interpretative traps? In addition, this picture presents an unusual combination of portraiture and history painting, depicting Garrick as King of England in a theatrical scene. What is the narrative that Hogarth, known for his inclination to tell stories through his paintings, intended to construct through this image with its hybrid genre and unique subject? This article attempts to interpret this theatrical image by situating it in two of the three analytical frameworks of theatre iconography proposed by this researcher. First, in the category of theatre historiography, the image is examined as a theatrical document to discover what it may reveal about Garrick’s acting and draw attention to the traps of interpretation. Second, in the category of cultural studies, the image, seen as not just a document, but a monument, is read as a social text, involving cultural codes, artistic conventions, and commercial forces. |