Humanities and Arts
Art in Tights: Tableaux Vivants as Commercial Entertainment in Sweden and Finland, 1840–1860
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Leif Runefelt
Abstract
In the 1840s, Sweden and Finland were hit by a minor craze for living pictures or tableaux vivants as commercial entertainment. For the price of a ticket, the public could experience the staging, by live actors, of work of arts from antiquity and contemporary sculptors such as Canova and Thorvaldsen. Making strong claims of artistic value, based on the aesthetic theory of Winckelmann and the artistic practice of artists such as Canova, the performances raise interesting questions of how aesthetics worked when set in a commercial framework. The article discusses the problem of beauty faced by entertainers and spectators when art was reenacted for money. The experience of beauty was central to aesthetic theory and to living pictures. However, it remains unclear whether commercial living pictures was about beauty in art or about good-looking women. A possible conclusion is that it was about both, and that the aesthetic theory behind the tableaux was a theory created for a male visual culture, in which the male gaze’s consumption of female bodies was self-evident while dressed in arguments of truth and beauty, confirming a social order in which a certain right look was ascribed to men.
Key Questions
What is the central focus of this study?
The study explores the phenomenon of tableaux vivants (living pictures) as a form of commercial entertainment in Sweden and Finland during the mid-19th century, examining their cultural, artistic, and commercial impact.
What are tableaux vivants?
Tableaux vivants are performances where actors or models recreate scenes from artworks, literature, or historical events by posing silently in elaborate costumes and settings, often emphasizing visual aesthetics.
Why were tableaux vivants popular in Sweden and Finland during this period?
Tableaux vivants became popular as they combined high art with accessible entertainment, appealing to audiences' growing interest in visual culture, theater, and the arts during the 19th century.
How were tableaux vivants commercialized?
These performances were commercialized through ticketed events, advertisements, and performances in urban theaters, appealing to both middle-class and elite audiences as a form of refined entertainment.
What role did gender play in tableaux vivants?
Gender played a significant role, as women often performed in tableaux vivants, highlighting themes of beauty, modesty, and artistic representation, while also challenging traditional gender norms through public performance.
What cultural significance did tableaux vivants hold?
Tableaux vivants bridged the gap between high art and popular culture, serving as a medium for artistic appreciation, moral instruction, and social commentary in a visually engaging format.
What challenges did tableaux vivants face?
The art form faced challenges such as criticisms of impropriety, competition from other forms of entertainment, and the difficulty of sustaining audience interest over time as cultural tastes evolved.
How does this study contribute to the understanding of 19th-century entertainment?
This study provides insights into the interplay between art, commerce, and performance, shedding light on how tableaux vivants reflected and shaped the cultural and artistic values of 19th-century Sweden and Finland.
