Venetian Masks
Venetian masks are a centuries-old tradition of Venice, Italy. The masks are typically worn during the Carnevale (Carnival of Venice), but have been used on many other occasions in the past, usually as a device for hiding the wearer’s identity and social status. The mask would permit the wearer to act more freely in cases where he or she wanted to interact with other members of the society outside the bounds of identity and everyday convention. It was thus useful for a variety of purposes, some of them illicit or criminal, others just personal, such as romantic encounters.
Venetian masks are characterised by their ornate design, featuring bright colours such as gold or silver and the use of complex decorations in the baroque style. Many designs of Venetian masks stem from Commedia dell’arte.
Information from Wikipedia.
Single RAW image Tonemapped in Photomatix Pro 3.2.
Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA)
Sigma 18-200mm lens
Exif data from the JPG
F-stop f/4.5
ISO 200
Focal length 33 mm
BEST VIEWED LARGER
Related shots can be found at: Venice or Italy.
Featured in : Italy and all Things Italian : 26 Oct 09
Featured in : Sets of Two : 23 Nov 09
Venetian Masks belongs to the following groups:
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Sean Farragher
beautiful,,,,,,,,
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you Sean …
Rachael Macleod
great colours Tom
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you Rachael, they were really eye catching …
cherylc1
Gorgeous!!!
Tom Gomez replied
So glad you like it Cheryl …
John44
Vibrant shot.
Nicely detailed
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you John, the masks are everywhere in Venice …
Sharon Mau
It is a beautiful shot Tom. I lived in Munich five years, and on weekends and holidays very much enjoyed exploring the neighboring countries. I stayed in Venice one week during carnival once and will always remember being dazzled by this extraordinary event. The masks are exquisite and the costumes extraordinarily ornate and very beautiful. It was like stepping back in time hundreds of years.
Tom Gomez replied
Thanks for the great comment Sharon, very much appreciated …
Sharon Mau
I wish I had a digital camera then. It was in the early 90’s and I was using a Nikon shooting hundreds of rolls of film. I remember too that these masks are extraordinarily expensive. I wanted to buy one but it was out of my range. The large life sized ones that interested me most were displayed in a kiosk on a busy side street near the plaza and were many hundreds of dollars. I settled for a small porzellan mask which is very beautiful. They are so creative. I love the Victorian style masks, the pretty jeweled ones in soft pastels.
Trudi's Images
Awesome capture Tom, what a marvelous trip it must have been !
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you Trudi, we had a great time …
Steve & Lesley
excellent work tom
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you so much Steve …
Bradley Shawn ...
This says Venice to me more than anything else. My wife and I spent almost an hour in a small shop looking at all these beautiful masks. Great capture.
Tom Gomez replied
I know what you mean Bradley. This is my daughters favourite shot from my Venice trip …
Lucindawind
beautiful masks ! great capture
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you Elaine …
Gary Murison
These masks are amazing art in their own right. Well captured Tom.
Tom Gomez replied
Thanks Gary, they are very colourful …
Joanne Bradley
This collection is so great! I love your composition, how you filled the frame with the colorful masks!
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you so much Joanne, they are so colourful …
Jason Connolly
Superb shot.
Tom Gomez replied
Thank you Jason …
DonDavisUK
Did you? Did you go to one of these parties? Ha Ha. Stunning capture Tom.
Tom Gomez replied
Haha, fraid not Don. We were only there for one day, but the masks are stunning, and so colourful …
Eva and Klaus ...
Congratulations!
You have been featured in:
Tom Gomez replied
Thnak you so much, I am honoured …