Optocht met praalwagen tijdens Mardi Gras op een plein in Parijs 1896

This sepia-toned photograph by Delizy captures a Mardi Gras parade with a flower-covered float in a Parisian square. The image presents a moment of public celebration set against the backdrop of stately architecture. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a pre-Lenten festival with roots in European traditions, and it evolved in different ways depending on local socio-political conditions. In France, Mardi Gras was both a moment of sanctioned excess and a way to reinforce social hierarchies, with elaborate floats often reflecting the values of the elite. The architecture in the backdrop speaks to the institutionalization of art, and prompts us to consider who has access to public space and cultural expression. Who gets to participate, and who is watching from the windows? As historians, we might consult archival sources, such as newspapers, photographs, and city records, to understand the social dynamics of Mardi Gras in Paris. Through careful research, we can understand art as a product of social and institutional context.