Carnaval 1920

Laura Knight painted this canvas, titled "Carnaval," at an unknown date and with unknown materials. This work, a painting of dancers, invites us to consider the social history of performance and spectacle. The harlequin figure with his diamond-patterned costume takes centre stage, drawing on a commedia dell'arte tradition that goes back centuries. Notice the stark contrast of light and shadow, a theatrical device that accentuates the staged nature of the scene. The location may be a stage, or a dance hall, some place of spectacle and display, of illusion and fantasy. We might consider how geography may have influenced the artwork. To understand this piece more fully, one could look at costume history, the social functions of masquerade, and the changing role of women in early 20th century entertainment. Art history is about understanding these contexts, discovering how social and institutional forces shape the production and reception of art.