Masquerading, Venice

Fri, 5th August 2005

There are many pairs similiar to these two on the waterfront of the Grand Canal, particularly around the Bridge of Sighs and and St Marks (where the concentration of tourists is greatest). Wearing traditional Venetian masks they are constantly on the lookout for tourists so that they can pose with them for photos and afterwards request a donation to the basket placed at their feet. Is it street theatre or glorified begging?

Historically the Venice environment, because of it's crowded city conditions, didn't really allow for much seclusion or solitude; individual anonymity or privacy was difficult to come by. Thus, the "mask" became an outlet for many to depart from the mainstream life they were leading. The average citizen found that by wearing a mask (masquerading) they could act like a stranger, revealing their real persona, which they normally kept to themselves to avoid being judged by others.