Design for a Headdress (front and side view) 1604 - 1656

This is Baccio del Bianco’s “Design for a Headdress (front and side view),” created sometime in the first half of the 17th century with pen and brown ink on paper. Del Bianco was working in Florence, Italy at a time when the city was a center for theatrical and artistic innovation. The sketch shows a headdress, likely intended for a theatrical performance, with a woman's face visible beneath it. Representations of women in the theater during Del Bianco’s time were complex. Actresses were gaining prominence, yet were still subject to strict social codes and expectations. The headdress, as a form of adornment, plays with identity, creating a persona that both reveals and conceals. It's difficult to say if this headdress was meant for a specific character, but there’s a tension between the individual—the woman wearing the headdress—and the role she plays. Consider how costume design intersects with gender, performance, and identity, creating visual statements that challenge or reinforce societal norms.