The long 18th century experienced a transformation in the ways in which antiquity was used, exhibited, and communicated to different social classes. While the use of the past in art, music, and drama has been extensively discussed, the influence of antiquity in fashion and the performing arts, and their mutual connections, has often been neglected or approached just for its aesthetic significance. However, theatre settings, costume, dance, and fashion not only responded to aesthetic interest in antiquity, but they were crucial channels to vehiculate social and cultural messages among a wide range of audiences. They contributed to the creation of material objects, social trends, and discussion topics in society, and forged new ways of articulating selfhood and national identity. This panel highlights how, during the second half of the 18th century, antiquity models were used and reappropriated both in fashion and in the performing arts. It fosters an interdisciplinary discussion to revaluate the profound ways in which antique ideals, materials, sources, and models were visualized and propagated through dress, dance, and scenography, approaching at the same time visual, material, and cultural aspects within the discussion.
