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Display and spectacle were all important in the 18th century. Cities such as Rome, Venice, and Florence put on elaborate religious and civic festivals that involved public processions and lavish temporary architecture. The greatest artists and architects of the day, Filippo Juvara, Giuseppe Vasi, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, were also stage designers. Even such academic pursuits as archaeological excavation had their theatrical side; “discoveries” were sometimes staged for the delight of eminent visitors. Performance could take place at home as well as in public, as in Lady Emma Hamilton’s “Attitudes,” a series of poses based on ancient subjects.
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