In Rome, at the Theatre Capranio, in 1698, there was a ghost of a woman surrounded by guards.  This phantom, extending her arms and unfolding her clothes, was, with one motion, transformed into a perfect palace, with its front, its wings, body, and courtyard.  The guards, striking their halberds on the stage, were immediately turned into so many waterworks, cascades, and trees, that formed a charming garden before the palace.  At the same theatre, in the opera “Nerone Infante,” the interior of hell was shown.  Here part of the stage opened, and discovered a scene underneath, representing several caves, full of infernal spirits, that flew about, discharging fire and smoke, on another side the river of Lethe and Charon’s boat.  Upon this landing a prodigious monster appeared, whose mouth opening to the great horror of the spectators, covered the front wings of the remaining part of the stage.  Within his jaws was discovered a throne of fire, and a multitude of monstrous snakes, on which Pluto sat.  After this the great monster, expanding his wings, began to move very slowly towards the audience.  Under his body appeared a great multitude of devils, who formed themselves into a ballet, and plunged, one after the other, into the opening of the floor.  The great monster was in an instant transformed into an innumerable multitude of broad white butterflies, which flew all into the pit, and so low that some often touched the hats of several of the spectators, and at last they disappeared.  During this circumstance, which sufficiently employed the eyes of the spectators, the stage was refitted, and the scene changed into a beautiful garden, with which the third act began.

The scene painter, Devoto, painted the scenery and decorations for the Goodman’s Fields Theatre, where, it is interesting to note, David Garrick made his first London appearance in 1741.  His first appearance on any stage had been made at Ipswich on Tuesday, 21st July, in the same year, under the name of Lyddall.  Garrick, during his time, introduced many novelties in the way of scenery and transparencies, acting on the suggestions of Signor Seivandoni, the scenic artist at the Opera-house, and the fencing master, Dominico Angelo.  These transparencies became the talk of London, and it has been known for several plays to have been written so as to introduce them.  The first transparent scene is said to have been the “Enchanted Wood,” introduced in “Harlequin’s Invasion,” at Drury Lane, the painter being one French, the scenic artist of the theatre.

Beverley, the scene painter for Madame Vestris, half a century ago, brought fairy, or Pantomime, scenes to great perfection.  Leopold Wagner, speaking of them, says:—­“We have it upon the authority of Mr. Planche that these were almost entirely due to the skilled efforts and successes of Mr. William Beverley, who, in the nature of Extravaganza, so impressed the public with his fine talents as an artist upon theatrical canvas, that gorgeous scenes became quite the rage, and how, year after year, Mr. Beverley’s powers were taxed to the utmost to outdo his former triumphs, and how the most costly materials and complicated machinery were annually put into requisition until the managers began to suffer.”