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Above: Diane Arbus, Tattooed Man at a Carnival, 1970. Silver gelatin print. Fair use; Left: Diego Rivera, Carnival of Mexican Life. Dictatorship, 1936. Fresco. Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico. Fair Use
Carnival. The word alone can make us smile and start to feel giddy. We all get a thrill from visions of letting loose and partying — along with that feeling of mystery and indulgence that only a carnival can bring. With the goal of entertaining and amusing the masses, carnivals bring street parties, parades, rides, games and entertainment, plus always a huge variety of food… and drink!
Early forms of carnivals were celebrations of the end of winter/arrival of spring, as recorded by the great Roman historian Tacitus in 98 AD. Carnival, Karneval, Mardi Gras — the festival now goes by different names around the globe but whatever we call it, it’s sure to be an event filled with a variety of shenanigans and much delight. From mid-February through early March, the top carnivals worldwide include ones in Cologne, Trinidad and Tobago, Rio, Venice, and of course, New Orleans.
It is fitting that we take a moment in March to recognize and enjoy how these special free-for-all celebrations have inspired artists. Whether they display political messages, psychological states, people in a variety of costumes, or just overall fabulously colorful scenes, these works capture aspects of the “carnivalesque,” for sure.
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