Tableau vivant, French for ‘living picture’, is a style of artistic presentation which is often shortened to just ‘Tableau’. It most often describes a group of suitably costumed actors, carefully positioned and often theatrically lit. It also applied to works of visual art including painting, photography and sculpture, featuring artists’ models in similar arrangements. This artistic style is often used in the works of romance, symbolist and aesthetic.

To me, it would appear that this artistic approach is used to show chaotic scenes where a lot is happening. However it over exaggerates how mental the scene is. So, instead of the picture being like a documentary style where it captures a true representation of a place, it is directed to ensure that it captures every possible thing that happens in that place. Thus leading to an overall summary of a place over a day or possibly even several days.