Costume Design: A Page for a Ballet
ca. 1720
Medium
theater
Classification
theater
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1942-3-9
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the lavish world of 18th theater with *Costume Design: A Page for a Ballet*, a captivating sketch from around 1720 now housed in the Smithsonian American Museum. Created during the Baroque era, when opulent ballets and operas dazzled European courts, this design depicts the attire for a "page"—a youthful attendant or messenger boy, often clad in elaborate livery symbolizing loyalty and hierarchy. Though the artist remains unknown, such designs were essential blueprints for seamstresses and performers, blending fashion with fantasy to bring stories to life on stage. Theater costume d...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...