Inigo Jones's Tempe Restored and Alessandro Piccolomini's Della Institution morale

Abstract

In 1949 D. J. Gordon showed in an article whose basic assumptions are still valid that with his design of the proscenium arch for Albion's Triumph of 1632 Inigo Jones made an explicit statement about the theoretical foundation of architecture and of his scenic designs for the court masque.1 This theoretical foundation had been questioned by Ben Jonson, with whom the architect and designer by then had collaborated (off and on) for almost three decades in the invention and execution of the courtly spectacles. Jonson, however, had been dismissed after the season of 1631, and Albion's Triumph was the first masque Jones produced after the final rupture with the poet. It may be understandable that after the ugly quarrel with Jonson he sought to assert himself, although his display of confidence, exalting his own contribution to the synesthetic court masque, seems despite its thorough theoretical foundation almost like a triumphant flourish with which to taunt the disgruntled poet. The relevance of his theoretical statement for his understanding of the masque cannot, however, be stressed too much.With his next masque, Tempe Restored, which closely followed the performance of Albion's Triumph, Jones again made a theoretical statement about the genre, about its visual character and about its relevance as a medium of moral instruction. It is the purpose of this article to trace notions of moral philosophy as expressed in Tempe Restored to Alessandro Piccolomini's Della Institution morale (1542; rev. 1560), a copy of which was owned by the architect. In the first part (I) of this article I will give a summary of the relevant chapters of the Institution and try to deduce the coherent meaning Jones possibly extracted from them as indicated by some of the copious annotations that he made in his copy of Piccolomini's text. In a further section (II) these will be discussed as a source for notions of moral philosophy expressed in the printed text of Tempe Restored. Lastly (III), relating to the theory of the perception of the good and the beautiful as well as to the method of acquiring philosophical knowledge as expounded by Piccolomini, Jones's use of scenic images or 'pictures' will be examined. It will be seen that in the context of his quarrel with Ben Jonson the Institution, Aristotelian in conception rather than Platonic or Neo-Platonic, provided Jones with a welcome and solid theoretical background to justify his expressly visual conception of the masque. Images are imbued by Jones with meaning in basically three ways: (1) The image itself and its aesthetic qualities rather than the meaning it carries are of importance. (2) The iconography of the 'picture' is significant. (3) Jones relates the 'picture' to a system of reference, for example the Italian scenographic tradition; hence the pastiche-character of many of his scenic designs. Usually this reference carries a meaning which in the context of the masque acquires a new significance. Instances of all three uses may be found in Tempe Restored and examples of the first and third way to use 'pictures' will be discussed in some detail.The second of the two masques produced by Jones in January and February of 1632 in collaboration with the poet Aurelian Townshend, Tempe Restored was performed as the queen's shrovetide masque on St Valentine's day and a commemorative booklet appeared shortly afterwards. Like most printed Caroline masques it is provided with an argument prefixed to the text proper which informs the reader of the content and invention of the masque and suggests a framework of meaning within which to read the subsequent description of the scene and the poetic text:CIrce by her alurements inamored a young Gent. on her person, who a while lived with her in all sensuall delights vntill vpon some iealosie conceived, shee gaue him to drinke of an inchanted Cup, and touching him with her golden wand transformed him into a Lyon. After some time shee remembring her former loue, retransformed him into his former shape. …