Inigo Jones (1573-1652) Was the Term Paper

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1101 words ( 4 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 3

Page 1 of 4

Although most of the occasions for masques were rather frivolous, such as the celebration of a society wedding, Jonson made sure that his masques were full of Platonic meanings, mythological references and humanistic doctrines that would tax the knowledge of the most learned among the audience. Jones, on the other hand, let loose his prodigious knowledge of classical art, his impressive competence as a painter, and his unmatched creativeness in devising stunning stage scenery and elaborate costumes for the masques, which won the admiration of all discerning observers (Ibid. 26-28).

Relationship with Jonson

Inigo Jones enjoyed a surprisingly tempestuous relationship with Ben Jonson. The partnership of the two men that started so promisingly, resulting in the creation of a number of superb masque productions, ended in bitter acrimony. Their hostility is surprising because both men were of approximately the same age, of similar humble background, shared rare artistic genius in their respective fields, and were given much leeway by generous royal patrons to work harmoniously.

One of the reasons for the fall-out between the two was that Jonson took the intellectual content of his masques more seriously than anyone else. He was, by all accounts, convinced that the soul of the masque was of infinite value.

Stuck Writing Your "Inigo Jones (1573-1652) Was The" Term Paper?

View All Our Example Inigo Jones (1573-1652) Was the Term Paper

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

He deeply resented the tendency at the time to accord greater respect to the decoration and the "mere mechanics" of a show (Lees-Milne 45). Jonson believed that Jones was getting more credit than he deserved for his contribution to the masque productions. His resentment towards his "friend" grew from "irritation to contempt to intense dislike" just as applause for Jones got louder (Ibid. 46-47).

Jones, on the other hand, refused to admit the superiority of poetry over dramatic production; he believed that the scenic effects created by him for the masques were of equal (if not more) artistic importance than their script. Jones was also on the defensive since 'visual arts' such as architecture were, at the time, not given the same artistic status as literature and poetry. There was also an air of "self-importance" about Jones's personality that particularly irritated Jonson. As a result, Jonson considered Jones to be a complete fraud, and attacked him viciously at every opportunity, leading to a complete break in the partnership by 1631, after which Jonson did not write another masque for the court. Jones continued his work in collaboration with minor poets who, unlike Jones, were content to subordinate their art to his (Ibid. 47).

Works.....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Inigo Jones 1573-1652 Was The" (2007, October 18) Retrieved May 18, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/inigo-jones-1573-1652-35067

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Inigo Jones 1573-1652 Was The" 18 October 2007. Web.18 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/inigo-jones-1573-1652-35067>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Inigo Jones 1573-1652 Was The", 18 October 2007, Accessed.18 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/inigo-jones-1573-1652-35067
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example

A PHP Error was encountered

Severity: Core Warning

Message: PHP Startup: Unable to load dynamic library '/usr/lib/php/20160303/mysql.so' - /usr/lib/php/20160303/mysql.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Filename: Unknown

Line Number: 0