What do carnival masks represent

Various theories exist as to the origin of the name. One theory suggests that it is derived from San Pantaleone one of the Saints of Venice who has a church dedicated to his memory in the sestiere Dorsoduro. The church is famous for its immense ceiling painting, depicting The Martyrdom and Apotheosis of St Pantalon. He is an old, avid and petty merchant, wearing a black mantle, woolen cap, short trousers and long, red socks pantaloni , the typical outfit of Venetian merchants.

He is portrayed with a hook nose, protruding eyebrows, a pointy goatee, while a black domino conceals half of his face. A common Venetian mask is the Gnaga, part of a costume worn by men disguised as women. The traditional Gnaga outfit includes female clothing and a mask portraying a female cat. It was often worn with a basket under the arm, which usually contained a little kitten. The person wearing the costume would usually behave like a plebeian courtesan, uttering acute sounds and mocking meows.

The sweetheart of Arlecchino, Colombina also known as Arlecchina , is not a true mask, as the Servetta wears her own face or, more rarely, a half-mask, only assuming the costume and dialect of the region she chooses to represent. I hope that you will find it all very engaging and enriching to read. And that it will inspire you to delve deeper into the world of masks in Venice so as to find the one that truly appeals to you and makes you feel so very mysterious and special.

Masks and Venice go together centuries back in time. While nowadays, masks are one of the most popular and sought-after souvenirs one can buy in Venice, in the past wearing a mask here was very much a way of life. As a social equaliser, the Venetian masks allowed rich and poor Venetians to mingle together and to avoid scrutiny. Venetian ladies employed them as much to preserve their modesty as to play seduction games. The documented story of the Venetian Carnival starts in This is when Doge Vitale Falier signed the first document that has reached us where the precursor of the word Carnival — carnis laxatio — is mentioned.

Originally the Carnival of Venice started on St. It was a period of the year when the Ancient Roman spirit of panem et circenses was truly alive.

Plus, the different classes of the strict Venetian society could mix and be merry together behind the anonymity allowed by a mask. The advantages of wearing a mask soon caught on. By the 13th century, there were several mask makers and hundreds of mask wearers in Venice.

In fact, the first mention of masks in Venetian laws dates back to this century. At the time, a favourite Venetian pastime was to throw perfume-filled eggshells at passers-by. However, people felt emboldened by the anonymity granted by masks and started throwing eggs filled with ink instead of rose water. This soon became a public hazard and the Venetian Senate had to step in. Hence, in a law was passed forbidding those concealed by a mask to throw eggshells.

By the 13th century, the Venetian mask makers were already organised in a guild. Known as the Arte dei Depentori , this was the guild of those working with paint. Among them were also the painters, gilders, textile designers, embroiderers, gold-tooled leather artisans, playing-card makers, and sign makers of Venice.

In , the first statute of the Arte dei Depentori came into force. It is the oldest statute relating to the craft of painting in Italy. From this point onwards, the production of masks in Venice grew, new mask-making workshops were established, and different mask-making techniques were developed and applied in practice.

Mask makers were known as mascareri in the Venetian language. Their work was officially recognised as a craft with a statute issued on 10th April Soon, mask-wearing transcended the Carnival period. Venetians — both men and women — started wearing masks for most of the year. Different styles of masks were developed in Venice and adapted to daily life.

In certain social situations, masks became compulsory, too. For example, when married women went to the theatre they had to wear a mask. With the decline of Venice in the 18th century, however, the number of mask-making workshops in the city on water declined, too. By , there were only 12 still in operation with 31 people employed in them. In , with the fall of the Republic of Venice, the Venetian Carnival was banned and masks could no longer be worn on the streets and in public life.

The art and craft of mask-making soon fell into oblivion. It was only in when a handful of enthusiasts got behind the idea to revive the splendour of the Venetian Carnival that Venetian masks started attracting attention again.

Soon after mask-making studios and mask shops opened their doors in Venice. The old techniques and designs were researched in-depth and throughout the decades that followed masks came to symbolise Venice once more. In this blog post, for ease of language, I refer to all artisan masks that nowadays are made in Venice simply as Venetian masks.

Historical Venetian Masks. These are the styles of Venetian Carnival masks that were worn in the Republic of Venice from the Middle Ages to its fall in They are ancient in their origins. The first law regulating their wearing dates back to the 13th century but masks were in use in Venice even before then. Some of these historical Venetian masks are:. Bautta also spelled bauta — this is the most traditional Venetian Carnival mask. Originally it was worn only by men of all social classes but by the 18th century, it had also been embraced by married women.

It consists of several elements:. What I like about this mask is that it changes the pitch of the voice of its wearer making it even harder to guess their identity. Bear in mind that nowadays, the term bautta is often used to refer to just the mask element of the whole original disguise. At the same time, volto nowadays is customarily used to signify a full-face mask that can be simply painted white or beautifully decorated with swirls and other elements.

Venetian masks are an age-old tradition of Venice. The costumes are now usually worn during the yearly carnival event. The masks have been used on many other occasions in the past.

Usually, to hide the identity and social status of the wearer. And how would you like to make your own mask with your partner, friends, or family in Venice? Follow a workshop in the middle of the city of Venice to make a real mask. Make a beautiful mask to take home. Do you like what you read? Follow our Facebook Page and get exclusive info. Hotel with Excellent Facilities. Hilton in Venice is Popular. Curious about Location?

Top Activity to do. The tradition of the mask began in the 13th century. When the Venetians held parties from December 26 to the beginning of Lent and wore masks to hide their identity. This period was the only time that the lower and higher classes in society were mixed with each other.

The Venetian mask was considered an ideal disguise by kings and princes who could move around freely in the city without being recognized but also worn by strangers. Venetian events have attracted many foreigners, including princesses. They enjoyed their anonymity by wearing a mask. For example, they could spend a lot of money on gambling, theaters, alcohol, shops, exotic animals, and other entertainment. Because of the Venetian mask, everyone was equal in status.

But during Napoleon's reign, the parties including Carnival were abolished in Venice. Luckily, the Carnival in Venice has been revived. The return of the festival was around During Carnival, the people bring back the use and disguise of the Venice Masks. You might be the next here! Isla Phillips 1 October The women of the Bauhaus, attracted to the school by a lie, were marginalised by its male masters and forced into a single workshop. Under the Geoffrey Bunting 26 September Howard Schwartz 15 December Never miss DailyArt Magazine's stories.

Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox! Wikimedia Commons. It is not a surprise that every carnival, regardless of its country origin or other characteristics, is traditionally associated with Venetian carnival masks. Being a primary sign of a carnival, the mask has an interesting history connected with old Venice traditions. Learn the key information about the history of Venice mask. A selection of Venetian carnival masks.

The Venetian carnival tradition is most famous for its distinctive masks. Arlecchino's half-mask is painted black with an ape-like nose and a "bump" to signify a devil's horn. Masks at the Carnival of Venice, with the Bauta mask shown on the left. Masquerade ball at the Carnival of Venice.

Woman wearing a moretta. We love art history and writing about it. Your support helps us to sustain DailyArt Magazine and keep it running. Guest Profile. Abstract Expressionism. Masterpiece Stories. We use cookies to provide website functionality, to analyze traffic on our DailyArt Sites, personalize Our Cookie Statement provides more information and explains how to update your cookie settings.

View our Cookie Statement. Cookie Settings Accept All Cookies. Manage consent.