Living Pictures

Photo by Gregory Cherin

Painting by Caravaggio, Narcissus (1598-99), oil on canvas, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome

Tableaux vivants, or living pictures, are imitations of paintings created inside a large frame with real people. The parlor game peaked in popularity between 1830 and 1920, and Daniel Chester French’s family home was no exception. The sculptor’s daughter, Margaret, wrote in her 1947 book, Journey into Fame, "My father had the showman's instinct for dramatic effects, and we produced tableaux that were frequently so good that we would plan a repeat performance and have the neighbors in to watch.” The tableaux vivants are now being recreated at Chesterwood under the direction of award-winning theater artist and documentary filmmaker Doria Bramante, who wants to take audiences back in time to an evening in 1910 in French’s studio. The actors are mostly local, wearing costumes mostly sourced from Shakespeare & Company in Lenox. Bramante’s goal is to engage audiences deeply and create a personal connection with art. A favorite painting that was brought to life last year was Caravaggio's Narcissus, in which Bramante herself was the reflection. “I really love his theatricality; he always has really dramatic light from a single source,” she says. “It’s fun to play with his work; it lends itself quite easily to tableaux.” Returning for its fifth performance, Tableaux Vivants or Living Pictures will be on Friday, August 8, at 5:30 p.m. chesterwood.org

—Anastasia Stanmeyer