How did painted scenery contribute to Sophocles’ dramatic productions?

Ancient authorities credit Sophocles with the invention of scene painting, an innovation that allowed for the use of pictorial props or painted scenery to establish the locale or atmosphere of a dramatic production.12

By introducing these visual elements, Sophocles helped move theatre away from the reliance on a simple, conventional background. This development reflected a growing impulse to visualize and particularize the setting of the action, making the stage environment more descriptive of the play's specific needs. While the exact nature of these early scenic innovations is debated—with some sources also attributing them to Aeschylus—the introduction of painted scenery was a significant step in the evolution of scenography, providing playwrights with greater tools to define the world in which their characters interacted.3425