Under the Candles of the Opera or the Lights of the Fairground Theatre Make-up in the Second Half of the 18th Century

In the second half of the 18th century, make-up practices were widespread in all the theatres of the kingdom. This article examines the conditions of emergence of this specific market and the ways in which it was supplied. It presents the diversity of products, their qualities and their applications. It also underlines, in connection with the evolution of the material conditions of the performance, that all these questions participate in the Enlightenment debate on the figure of the actor.