Standing Man in a Theatrical Costume c. 18th century

Curator: This drawing, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, is called "Standing Man in a Theatrical Costume." It was created by Claude Gillot, an artist active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Editor: He looks rather pleased with himself, doesn't he? A bit flamboyant, like a cheeky sparrow in fancy dress. Curator: The costume is indeed the point. Gillot was deeply interested in the theater and commedia dell'arte. Consider how the hat, the ruff, and the elaborate detailing all speak to a culture of performance. Editor: It's funny, all that detail, and yet the face is so neutral. It's like the costume is wearing him, not the other way around. I wonder, what's he hiding? Curator: Perhaps the intent is to see him as a type, an archetype of the stage, rather than a fully realized individual. Editor: Or perhaps, he's just waiting for his cue. It does make you wonder about the stories these images hold. Curator: Absolutely. They remind us that representation is always a form of interpretation.