Staande vrouwelijke carnavalsfiguur, met masker 1878 - 1944

Curator: This is a pencil drawing by Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, titled "Standing Female Carnival Figure, with Mask," dating sometime between 1878 and 1944. Editor: Oh, she has a hesitant elegance. The sketchy quality, almost like a forgotten doodle, makes her feel fleeting, like a carnival dream you almost grasp upon waking. Curator: Precisely. Look closely at the lines, the seemingly casual strokes of the pencil. The mask, for instance— it's minimal, almost a suggestion. Yet it completely transforms the figure, imbuing her with this air of mystery and transformation. Editor: The costume details are fantastic too. That ruff collar! Those enormous buttons, running like dark moons down the bodice. She’s hiding, yet paradoxically putting herself on display. Is it just me or does she exude an ambivalence that comes across despite the playful carnival setting? Curator: The symbolism, absolutely! Masks are rich with meaning across cultures, think of anonymity, freedom, but also, deceit, hiding… She becomes a canvas upon which we project our own interpretations of what lies beneath the surface. And of course, carnival itself! It represents that temporary inversion of the established order. Editor: Anarchy in polite company! There’s such power in temporary disruptions, giving space for unexpressed parts of ourselves. Makes me think what if, behind the mask, the "carnival figure" actually finds herself more truly. This goes beyond costume; the art feels almost biographical! Curator: Well, we know that Mesquita explored darker themes later in his life. Perhaps we’re seeing a seed of that within this early work—the unsettling beauty that lurks beneath the cheerful facade. It is strangely poignant and it seems there are so many stories locked away in this figure's stance. Editor: She certainly doesn't give away many of her secrets does she? It leaves a long, fascinating shadow nonetheless.