['Study for Mascarille disguised as a woman', 'Design for the illustration of "L\'Etourdi\'\' from the 1734 edition of Molière\'s works (vol. I, p. 3)'] 1713 - 1734

This red chalk drawing by Francois Boucher, a study for Molière's "L'Étourdi," captures Mascarille, a male character, disguised as a woman. This act of cross-dressing, a recurring motif in art and theatre, serves as a potent symbol of transformation and deception, dating back to ancient rituals of inversion, like the Roman Saturnalia, where social hierarchies were playfully upended. Consider the ambiguous figure—the shift between genders becomes a space where identities blur, evoking a sense of unease and laughter. We see echoes of this masquerade in commedia dell'arte characters and Shakespearean plays, where disguises reveal deeper truths. Think of the archetypal trickster: their blurred identity becomes a mirror reflecting our own subconscious desires to escape fixed roles. This image, with its playful yet unsettling androgyny, taps into a collective memory—a reminder that identities are fluid and performances can unveil unexpected facets of the self.