Salzburg Puppetry

While in Salzburg, Austria, I was able to visit two different sites that have examples of marionette puppetry from the region, the Marionette Museum in the Hohensalzburg Fortress and The Salzburg Marionette Theatre.

Salzburg Marionette Theatre

The first place that I visited was the Salzburg Marionette Theatre.  The performance technique used at this theatre is considered a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.  The theatre was established in 1913 by Anton Aicher. 

When you first walk into the lobby of the theatre you are greeted by marionettes lining the walls and displays that show vignettes of stories as well as the design and build process of the puppets.

"The tradition of the Salzburg Marionettes is based on constant innovation, outstanding productions and the almost human appeal of the marionettes."

Costumes by Marie Luise Walek from "The Gardener's Love"

All of the costumes are made by an in-house workshop at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre

Puppet designs for various shows including Alice in Wonderland and The Sound of Music

Process of the puppet build with specifications for how it goes together

Patterning for the puppet's clothing, as well as various puppet body parts

The process of how the puppet is assembled, painted and the various fabric swatches to create the garments.

The final puppet

Historical Artifacts of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre 

Stage design by Gunther Schneider-Siemssen

He designed for the Salzburg Marionette Theatre from 1951-1991.

Negative plates with scenes from early shows like The Stork (1916) and The Knowing Animals (1916)

Photo of Anton Aicher (1859-1930) and the very first marionette that was sculpted by Anton for the local marionette theatre Salzburg Kasperl.

Vignette from Bastien and Bastienne (by Mozart) which was the first production performed by the Salzburg Marionette Theatre in 1913.

Colas doll head by Anton Aicher, Bastienne doll head by Karl Aicher, and costumes by Rosa Aicher

The Magic Flute

The performance that I saw at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre was the opera by Mozart, The Magic Flute.  This was a great choice of show to see because of the fantastical nature of the story and production what translated well into puppetry.  The show began by revealing the backstage workshop.  As the prelude began for the opera, you could see the puppeteers setting the stage, arranging the back drop and getting the puppets into place.  It was magical to see the elements coming together before the show began.

Pre-show set up of the backstage before the performance began.

The show itself was a great performance.  The opera was prerecorded, but the puppets made the story come to life.  Each puppet was performed with incredible skill, showing nuance in the head and hand gestures.  The performance was also very dynamic in how the characters moved across the stage, whether it was the Queen of the Night flying through the air or Papageno jumping from limb to limb on a tree.  Within the show there was use of both smoke and real flame, making the performance feel even more real.  Each scene was transformed with a new set and the puppets continued to engage the audience for the two hours and thirty minutes of the show.

The Marionette Museum in the Hohensalzburg Fortress

The second marionette display in Salzburg is at the Hohensalzburg Fortress.  This museum is located in the Prince's Cellars within the center of the castle.  Inside the museum are several displays and vignettes.  These marionettes are from the historic collection of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre as well.

Little Devil from "The Wizard of Oz" (1952)

A vignette of "Mozart's Home" showing Mozart and his parents traveling.

Upper Belvedere Art Museum

The best way to understand a culture is through their art.  At the Upper Belvedere museum in Vienna, Austria, there is an impressive amount for artists from the region on display.  The first exhibit was from Medieval to Renaissance.  

Much of the subject of the art work from that time was religious.  It was interesting to see the details of the clothing in the paintings, as well as the style of clothes worn in the region.  I have seen more artwork from Medieval to Renaissance from Italian artists, and therefore the clothing represented has followed the Italian style.  

A Royal Saint represented in Sudtiroler Bildschnitzer's wood carving (c. 1500).

Panel paintings from an Our Lady altarpiece, probably from Hall parish church, by Marx Reichlich (Salzburg).

As the artwork moved into the Baroque period, artists began to paint more portraits rather than religious art that showed the subjects social status and wealth.  It was important to demonstrate their influence through art.

Price Eugene of Savoy, part of the Habsburg dynasty (1718).

The museum itself is a representation of the opulence and power of the Baroque period as well.  These rooms were once inhabited by Price Eugene himself.

Portrait by Martin van Meytens d. J.
"Double Portrait" (1740)

As the Baroque period progressed, portraits and self-portraits began to show more and more the subjects character or state of mind.  This was interesting to see the progression or change of philosophy in the paintings.  The subjects began to show more human qualities or personality.  This was not something that I had noticed previously in art, but it became obvious as I walked through the exhibit.

Portrait of a Boy (1749) by Christian Seybold (Vienna). 
This portrait begins to show more of the boys personality and the lighting in the painting isn't typical of previous eras.  The lighting is more moody and almost obscures the boys face.

The Lacemaker (undated) by E.K. Lautter
This painting is interesting how the woman looks right into the viewers eyes.  To me she has a bit of a critical look on her face, perhaps to criticize how the younger girls are making the lace.

The Imperial Count Moritz Christian Fries with his Wife Princess Maria Theresia Josepha and his Son Moritz (c. 1805) by François Pascal Simon Gérard.

What is interesting about this painting is that it is showing a more private side of the royalty of the time rather than a very formal portrait.  The family is more casual in how they are sitting and choosing to represent themselves.  What I like about this painting is attention to detail in the clothing that the artist included.

Farmer's wife from Ramsau at the Spinning Wheel (c. 1836) by Franz Eybl (Vienna) 
The painting has incredible detail in the fabrics and clothing of the farmer's wife.  The painting begins to show how portraits began to capture elements of everyday life, and the subjects no longer represented to upper classes.

Another example of an artist breaking the mold during the Baroque period was in the Character Heads of Franz Xaver Masserschmidt.  These sculptures showed character studies of various expressions that were uncharacteristic of the late Baroque period.  Messerschmidt created about sixty portrait busts with these unique facial expressions.  

In another wing of the Belvedere Museum were representations of Modernism (late 1800s-early 1900s).  This wing housed several paintings by Gustav Klimt who was born in Vienna, Austria. His earlier work is typical of the period, but as he developed his style the paintings become more deconstructed and more abstract with textures.

Portrait of a Woman (1893/1894) by Gustav Klimt

Fritza Riedler (1906) by Gustav Klimt
The portrait of the woman is still realistic by the background of the painting becomes more abstract.

The Kiss (Lovers) (1908) by Gustav Klimt
Perhaps one of his most famous paintings during Klimt's "Golden Period".  He used gold leaf, gold powder, silver and platinum to create the gold effect in the painting.  

Johanna Staude (1917/1918) by Gustav Klimt

Bride (1917/1918) by Gustav Klimt

This painting has elements of the textures and patterns from previous paintings.  It is more about the symbolism and the abstraction of the forms, rather than accurately representing the subjects.

Amalie Zuckerkandl (1917/1918) by Gustav Klimt
This painting is interesting when looking at the progression of the paintings that came before it.  The woman is painted in a realistic manner but her clothing and arms are more abstracted, and the painting looks almost "unfinished".

Prague's National Museum

The National Museum in Prague is located at the upper end of Wenceslas Square and is in a grand Neo-Renaissance founded in 1818.  Inside the museum is and exhibit of the history of the Czech lands with artifacts dating back to the 9th century.  It is rare to find artifact that are so old in tact.  In this exhibit there were samples of jewelry, armor, shoes, tiles, all of which give insight to the styles and motifs used during the time.

9th Century floral decorative metal pieces on a belt used to attach weapons and pouches

10th Century Bohemian silver earrings of a noble woman 

13th Century Leather Shoe

15th Century tiles depicting a scene of the "King on the Hunt" and a dance scene and a bagpiper.

A wooden case with metal motif  

As you walk through the exhibit it travels though the different eras, telling the story of the Czech people.  There were some unique artifacts that helped to show the style and artistry.  Often I like to photograph artifacts to use as reference in my costume design work.  

14th Century Altar Cover displaying intricate embroidery work.

Playing cards and the hand carved wooden printing blocks use to create them.

16th Century Jousting Helmet (unusual shape with a very narrow visor).

Beautiful floral and fruit motif box

Decorative 16th century pistol with engraved animals, volutes and mascarons.

As the exhibit progressed into the 18th century, there were more examples of the clothes worn from Central Bohemia region.  Most of the examples were from nobility or the aristocracy.  These items showed great examples of Central European style, often more simple in overall shape, but detailed in the trimmings and decoration.

Formal Women's Rococo dress (1750-1770) made of moiré silk and richly decorated with passementerie (trimming) in the shape of small flowers.

Bohemian estate uniform (1826-1843) with metal thread embroidery.

Formal dress (1870s-1880s) made of silk, satin, cotton, and lace.  Also pictured are some children's clothes, shoes and a home dress made of cotton.

Fan (1820s) from Central Europe made of horn, silver, and silk.

Woman's Masquerade Mask made of Canvas and Beeswax.