Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1514620
THE ARTISAN SPRING 2024 • 37 B Y N I C K I L E D E R M A N N | D E P A R T M E N T H E A D M A K E - U P A N D S E A N F L A N I G A N | D E P A R T M E N T H E A D H A I R PHOTOS BY JAKE GILES NETTER/MAX The Gilded Age To create the look of any period piece and its characters, regardless if you stick to realism or an interpretation, the key is to do proper research. Not just learning about the visuals but also about the historical, political, cultural and the physical environment of the time as that always has a big impact on the look of the characters. In prep, the make-up team painted/drew copies of portraits by American realist painters of that time to better understand the mood, color palette and beauty standards, to then translate that intricate esthetic of the very stylish Gilded Age (1877- 1900) onto the cast. To achieve the distinct nuances between old money, new money, as well as all other classes, we created specific tones and hues, based on what was available at that time, even creating some of our own products authentic to the era. Our make-up design represented old money characters clean and classy but yet mysterious, the new money more extravagant by definitely pushing the respectable boundaries of that time, while the working class was extremely simple in contrast. Many of our gentlemen had facial hair which was quite very diverse in style at this time, using an impressive stock of facial hairpieces and loose hair, main and background cast alike. For hair research, the team loved a good museum portrait gallery and also to scroll through periodicals of the time that are designed for women's fashion, such as Harper's Bazaar. Pencil sketches are abundant and always inspiring to create. Every woman needed hair, whether full lace wigs or additional clusters or switches. The challenge for the hair designs was always to style in a manner that would support the amazing hats required for the period. Upper-class women always styled smooth and TAPPING INTO THE HISTORY, POLITICS, CULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT OF L-R: Robert Sean Leonard and Cynthia Nixon