Male Actor in Ballet Costume 1665 - 1711

This drawing of a male actor in ballet costume was made by Jean Berain in the late 17th or early 18th century, using pen and black ink, with gray wash, on cream laid paper. The material itself may seem straightforward, but it represents a whole world of labor: from the making of the paper to the formulation of the ink. Berain has rendered an incredibly elaborate garment, festooned with ruffles, ribbons and grotesque masks. Think of the skilled needleworkers who would have been needed to realize such a design in fabric, and the social context of royal patronage that made such displays of artistry possible. Ballet at the time was not simply entertainment; it was an expression of power. Berain himself was not just an artist, but an orchestrator of many different skilled trades. By focusing on the material and the making, we recognize that this drawing is just one piece of a much larger puzzle of social and cultural production.