Masks, from Carpeaux to Picasso

Revealing while concealing, serving both religion and worldly pleasure, the mask goes back to the dawn of time. In the late 19th century, when the principles of Naturalism were being confronted, it saw a massive, inventive and somewhat disconcerting revival, benefiting from the interest at the time in ancient Greece, Japan and close-up photographic portraits.

All the arts contributed to the revival of the mask, from painting to avant-garde theatre. Some of the most creative artists of the time, throughout the whole of Europe — Ensor, Munch, Vallotton, Böcklin, Klinger, Gauguin and Picasso — added their names and their aesthetic to this strange fashion.