Page 026I can still see it if I close my eyes. The horse was white, speckled as if one of the big glass furnaces had coughed ashes on him. The rider wore a gold brocade jacket and a mask, like most Venetians when they went out. Even we street urchins wore masks of grime. He tossed it. Or maybe dropped it. |
Blog 025
Noble Frenchwomen generally wore masks when they went out. Above is an image of a woman who has, in risqué and immodest fashion, removed her mask (from The Essence of Style). Mask-wearing was especially widespread in Venice, starting in the medieval period. In a constraining religious society, masks allowed people to circulate and express themselves freely. Of course, masks also made illicit and immoral activities easier, and the Catholic Church banned the use of masks on several occasions. Nowadays Venetian masks are worn at carnivals.
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