The XVIIIth century; its institutions, customs, and costumes France, 1700-1789 . Fig. 267 Dresses of Juno, the K-ing, .ind Night. (From Gillois * Designs of Costumes for Ballet, Opera, and Comedy.) eccentric and even ridiculous, for the actors took no trouble to makethem harmonise with the piece. Lekain and Mdlle. Clairon werethe first to inculcate a regard for historical accuracy in this respect,and on August 20th, 1755, Voltaires tragedy, LOrphelin deChine, was played in Chinese costume. Mdlle. Clairon discardedthe panniers which had hitherto been looked upon as an indispen-sable complement
The XVIIIth century; its institutions, customs, and costumes France, 1700-1789 . Fig. 267 Dresses of Juno, the K-ing, .ind Night. (From Gillois * Designs of Costumes for Ballet, Opera, and Comedy.) eccentric and even ridiculous, for the actors took no trouble to makethem harmonise with the piece. Lekain and Mdlle. Clairon werethe first to inculcate a regard for historical accuracy in this respect,and on August 20th, 1755, Voltaires tragedy, LOrphelin deChine, was played in Chinese costume. Mdlle. Clairon discardedthe panniers which had hitherto been looked upon as an indispen-sable complement to tragedy-costume, and Lekain abandoned theplumes and tinsel which former actors had worn so as to increasetheir stature by a foot or two. Since then the costumes were madeto conform to the subject and date of the piece, without losingany of their original splendour. Lekain spent more than _^2,ooo on THE THEATRES. 405 his wardrobe, which was sold for about a tenth of that sum at hisdeath, and Bellecours wardrobe, which had cost ^1,200, fetched but;^i68 after his decease,. Fig. 268.—Mademoiselle Salk, .1 celebrated danseuse : after Lancret. ft It was necessary that the costumes should be made of brilliantcolours, and set off with spangles, as the stage, only lighted withtallow candles, which were snuffed between each act, was almost inobscurity. In 1784 the tallow candles were replaced by oil lampsand wax lights. This reform, long demanded, was accompanied by 4o6 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. the largest increase in the prices of admission which had taken placeduring the century. In 1699, the price of admission to the pit ofthe Comedie-Franqaise cost eighteen sous, and up to 1782 it wasonly increased by two sous. A seat in the orchestra and first tierboxes cost four livres, in the amphitheatre and second boxes two
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