I’ve recently returned from a few days in Venice. It was the period of Carnevale, the Venetian Carnival, which culminates on Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras.
The first contemporary Venetian Carnival took place in 1979. I studied History of Art at Venice’s Ca’Foscari University in the academic year 1979-1980 so was able to immerse myself in the 2nd Venice Carnival in 1980. Here are a couple of pictures of me back in my Venetian student days dressed up for carnival.
On the right: Catherine Whistler, both images by Albano Rossano Sanavio.
Here are are some images I took at this year’s carnival:
Some of the costumes are incredibly elaborate:
In these photos, the carnival masks reference characters from the Commedia dell’arte, a form of popular theatre which flourishedin the 16th-18th centuries.
The following pictures feature costumes with more contemporary references, channelling icons such as Elvis:
I’m not sure what this one was about, but I liked the home-made creativity of the cardboard coffin complete with wreath and blow-up doll!
Carnival is child friendly:
I particularly like seeing ordinary people, locals or tourists, dressed in their normal gear but with an added touch of glamour or humour as a nod to carnival:
A little touch of carnival – the carnival confetti known as coriandioli can be seen all over this gallery goer’s hair:
My Venetian friends did not dress up for Carnival, but I like this shot I took of my old friend Mario with a mysterious caped man in the background:
