Three Figures Dressed for a Masquerade
1740 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This oil on canvas depicts three figures in elaborate, fur-trimmed costumes typical of mid-18th-century masquerade attire, set against a classical architectural backdrop. It reflects the period's fascination with theatricality and the social performance of identity.
Did you know?
Masquerades were a pinnacle of social entertainment in the 18th century, allowing aristocrats to adopt roles that bypassed the rigid hierarchies of daily life. The costumes worn by the figures here—mixing exotic and historical elements—were designed to both conceal and flatter the wearer while signaling their refined taste and participation in the height of European fashion.
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Three Figures Dressed for a Masquerade
Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain, 1740
