THE HISTORY OF STAGE MAKEUP FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE DIGITAL AGE

ABSTRACT

This study examines the evolution of stage makeup, from ancient ritualistic practices to contemporary digital media. Using a qualitative historical analysis of theatrical manuals, historical accounts, and visual documentation, the research traces changes in materials, techniques, and cultural significance. Results show that stage makeup has served multiple roles: enhancing expression, defining character, and reflecting social and artistic norms. Ancient masks and pigments emphasized archetypal roles, while Renaissance and Baroque makeup aligned with aesthetic trends and stage lighting. Modern cosmetics facilitated realism for theater, opera, and film. The purpose of this study is to analyze the historical development of stage makeup from antiquity to the digital era, to identify its transformations in form, technique and functions. Ultimately, it demonstrates the enduring importance of stage makeup as an artistic and cultural tool.

АННОТАЦИЯ

В этом исследовании рассматривается эволюция сценического грима от древних ритуальных практик до современных цифровых медиа. Используя качественный исторический анализ театральных руководств, исторических отчетов и визуальной документации, авторы прослеживают изменения в материалах, техниках и культурной значимости. Результаты показывают, что сценический грим выполнял множество функций: усиливал выразительность, определял характер и отражал социальные и художественные нормы. Древние маски и пигменты подчеркивали архетипические роли, в то время как ренессансный и барочный грим соответствовал эстетическим тенденциям и сценическому освещению. Современная косметика способствовала воплощению реализма в театре, опере и кино. Цель данного исследования - проанализировать историческое развитие сценического макияжа от античности до цифровой эры, выявить его трансформации в форме, технике и функциях. В конечном итоге демонстрирует непреходящую важность сценического макияжа как художественного, так и культурного инструмента.

Keywords: stage makeup, theatrical art, performance history, visual culture, cosmetics.

Ключевые слова: сценический макияж,  театральное искусство, история выступлений, косметика.

Antiquity: Ritual Origins and Symbolic Functions

The history of theatrical cosmetics begins in ancient ritual practices. In Ancient Greece, performers in tragedies and comedies often wore masks, but they also painted exposed skin with substances such as wine dregs, chalk, and lead-based pigments to enhance their presence in vast open-air theatres. These practices were not purely aesthetic but carried symbolic associations: the painted face represented a transcendence of individuality, aligning the actor with mythological or divine archetypes [3, p. 21].

In Ancient Rome, cosmetics had a dual role: they were widely used in everyday life and integrated into stagecraft. Actors applied kohl, saffron, chalk, and vermillion to exaggerate features under lamplight. Some of these materials, particularly white lead and antimony, were toxic but remained in use due to their visual effectiveness [5, p. 68]. Ritualistic coloring also reflected Roman social hierarchies, with cosmetics distinguishing status and gender roles.

The symbolic association of makeup with transformation and ritual survived beyond antiquity, laying the foundation for theatrical practices in medieval Europe.

Medieval and Renaissance Traditions

In medieval mystery plays and folk performances, masks and painted faces were central tools of representation. Devil figures, angels, and allegorical characters required bold, sometimes grotesque, coloration. Makeup here functioned less as beauty enhancement and more as moral and didactic iconography—blackened faces for demons, whitened faces for purity, and blood-red cheeks for vitality or sin.

During the Renaissance, theatre shifted indoors, and new lighting conditions created fresh demands on makeup. Instead of exaggerated symbolic painting, more subtle methods were required to simulate realism. The emergence of commedia dell’arte in Italy, with its combination of masks and half-makeup, demonstrated how flexible cosmetics had become in expressing archetypes while still allowing actor individuality.

The 18th and 19th Centuries: Toward Professionalization

By the 18th century, actors began to rely on greasy white paint, rouge, and lampblack for contouring. However, the arrival of gaslight and limelight in theatres during the 19th century posed a new challenge: traditional powders appeared flat and ghostly under brighter illumination.

The innovation of Carl Baudin, a German actor at the Leipzig theatre, marked a turning point. In 1860 he mixed zinc oxide, ochre, and fat to create a smooth substance that concealed the seam of his wig. This was the birth of greasepaint. Shortly after, Ludwig Leichner, an opera singer, began commercial production of greasepaint sticks, standardizing colors and textures for stage professionals [4].

This moment is often described as the professionalization of stage makeup: no longer improvised, it became a codified craft supported by commercial industry. The availability of reliable, skin-friendly products transformed acting practices and opened the door to new forms of theatrical realism.

Early Film and the Expansion of Prosthetics

The emergence of cinema in the early 20th century required further adaptation. Film cameras exaggerated features and revealed imperfections unseen by theatre audiences. Under black-and-white film stock, actors used exaggerated contouring with reds, browns, and yellows to maintain expressive faces on screen.

Pioneers such as Jack Dawn and Max Factor introduced specialized film makeup, with Factor coining the term "make-up" in its modern usage. Prosthetic makeup also advanced, with Jack Pierce’s designs for Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932) demonstrating how latex, cotton, and collodion could create entirely new physiognomies.

Theatrical makeup had now expanded into hybrid science, blending dermatology, chemistry, and sculpture.

The Late 20th Century: Special Effects and Realism

By the late 20th century, prosthetics reached unprecedented sophistication. Artists such as Dick Smith (The Exorcist, 1973) and Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, 1981) elevated makeup into an Academy Award-winning craft. The use of foam latex, silicone, and airbrushing allowed for hyper realistic transformations.

Meanwhile, in live theatre, makeup evolved toward subtle realism, aided by improved stage lighting and television broadcasts of theatrical productions. Makeup was no longer merely supportive but often central to the aesthetic and narrative identity of a performance.

The Digital Age: Hybrid Realities

In the 21st century, makeup artistry has entered a digital dialogue. Traditional prosthetics remain vital, but visual effects (VFX) increasingly replace or extend them. Films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) combined silicone appliances with digital de-aging technologies, illustrating a hybrid methodology [2, p. 139].

Moreover, digital theatre and motion-capture performance (e.g., Andy Serkis’s Gollum) challenge the boundaries of makeup: transformation is no longer bound solely to the actor’s skin but extended into pixels. Yet scholars argue that makeup still underpins these transformations, as digital artists rely on centuries-old principles of shading, anatomy, and character exaggeration [1].

Thus, makeup in the digital age remains a fusion of craftsmanship and technology, preserving its historical continuity while adapting to the newest tools.

The evolution of stage makeup reflects a dialogue between tradition and innovation. From ritual coloring in antiquity to symbolic codes of medieval theatre, from the invention of greasepaint to the hyperrealism of prosthetics and the augmentation of digital technologies, makeup has consistently adapted to cultural expectations and technological contexts.

This study demonstrates that stage makeup is not a secondary accessory but a central component of performance, shaping audience perception and actor identity. As theatre and film enter deeper into digital experimentation, the continuity of makeup traditions ensures that the human element of transformation remains at the core of performance art.

References:

1. Academia.edu. Okpala, P. (2020). The Aesthetics of Costume and Makeup in Stage Production, [URL] https://www.academia.edu/121500672/THE_AESTHETICS_OF_COSTUME_AND_MAKE_UP_IN_STAGE_PRODUCTION?sm=b
2. Corson, R. Fashions in Makeup: From Ancient to Modern Times. London: Peter Owen, New York, 1972. – 646 pp.
3. Marvin A. Carlson, Theories of the Theatre: A Historical and Critical Survey, from the Greeks to the Present. – Cornell University Press, 1993. – 440 pp.
4. Theatrical Cosmetics: Making Face, Making “Race”. Recipes.Hypothese.org. Article by Jess Clark, 2014, [URL] https://recipes.hypotheses.org/4755
5. Zafar A. Mahmood, Iqbal Azhar, and S.W. Ahmed, Kohl Use in Antiquity: Effects on the Eye, in Toxicology in Antiquity, 2nd ed., ed. Philip Wexler, Elsevier, 2019. –  94pp.