Maskerade van de Leidse studenten, 1875 (plaat 3) 1875

Editor: Here we have Gerardus Johannes Bos's "Maskerade van de Leidse studenten, 1875 (plaat 3)", a drawing made with ink and pencil, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. There's something wonderfully staged and almost comical about this procession of students. It's so formal and yet a bit absurd. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, isn't it delightful? To me, it whispers of youthful exuberance and historical fascination, that charming academic art style. It’s more than just a genre painting, though, isn’t it? I see a tableau vivant, a living picture crafted by these students. And the way Bos captured the varied textures of their costumes – the velvet, the leather, even the plumes on their hats! It’s as if he were celebrating their performance, their temporary escape into another era. It makes me wonder about the occasion itself, the threads of tradition and rebellious theatrics. What grabs you most, though? Editor: I think it's the sheer number of them, lined up with such earnest faces. It makes me curious about their lives. I’m getting a sense that their masks aren't necessarily about concealing themselves, but embracing another identity altogether, just for an afternoon! Curator: Precisely! That's beautifully put. Identity is like a playful costume party, and isn’t the artist essentially revealing some universal yearning for connection? In academia and beyond, aren’t we always performing some role, trying on different hats, seeing which one fits just right? Editor: I hadn't considered the wider applications! Thanks, now when I look at it I feel like these students reflect ourselves. I see their costumed figures representing my own continuous search of self. Curator: I couldn't have said it better myself! The dance of perception – a masquerade, perhaps.