Medieval Art and the Look of Silent Film
The Influence on Costume and Set Design
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Book Presentation:
The heyday of silent film soon became quaint with the arrival of “talkies.” As early as 1929, critics and historians were writing of the period as though it were the distant past. Much of the literature on the silent era focuses on its filmic art—ambiance and psychological depth, the splendor of the sets and costumes—yet overlooks the inspiration behind these.
This book explores the Middle Ages as the prevailing influence on costume and set design in silent film and a force in fashion and architecture of the era. In the wake of World War I, designers overthrew the artifice of prewar style and manners and drew upon what seemed a nobler, purer age to create an ambiance that reflected higher ideals.
About the Author:
Lora Ann Sigler is a professor emerita of art history at California State University. She is a portrait/landscape artist and designer living in San Pedro, California.
Press Reviews:
• "The book is filled with troves of facts and narratives about early film and peppered with sumptuous fashion plates, photos of architectural masterpieces, and wonderful film stills."—The Journal of Dress History
• "If instructors want a textbook about the ‘medieval ambience’ in early film, they will be primarily interested in the first half of this book. Others who chiefly wish to know more about the influence of medieval art on fashion and architecture, especially in Hollywood, during this period will connect better with the second half."—SMART: Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching
• "Vivid… Persuasive… This is an accessible, informative and engaging study of the continuing allure of medievalism in silent cinema and beyond."—The European Legacy
> From the same author:
Clothes Make the Character (2021)
The Role of Wardrobe in Early Motion Pictures
Subject: Silent Cinema
> On a related topic:
Danish and German Silent Cinema (2025)
Towards a Common Film Culture
Dir. Lars-Martin Sørensen and Casper Tybjerg
Subject: Silent Cinema
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