Gemaskerd gezelschap in Venetië c. 1595

This etching, *Masked Company in Venice*, was created by Pieter de Jode I around the late 16th or early 17th century. The composition guides our eyes through a carefully structured space. Figures in elaborate masks and costumes populate the foreground, leading back to a detailed depiction of Venice in the background. De Jode masterfully employs line and perspective to create depth, with the architecture and figures diminishing in size as they recede into the distance. This reflects the era's fascination with perspective as a means of representing reality. The contrast between the revelry in the foreground and the cityscape beyond creates a dialogue between artifice and reality. The masks and costumes invite us to question the true identities and intentions of the figures. The formal elements serve not just aesthetic purposes but invite a deeper reflection on the themes of identity, illusion, and the nature of representation itself, ideas that continue to resonate today.