Spelletjes spelend gezelschap in een interieur 1761

This is an engraving by Jacob Folkema, made in the 18th century, showing people playing games inside a house. Note the mask worn by one of the figures; it speaks to the theatricality of social life, a symbol reaching back to ancient rituals, where masks transformed identities and blurred lines between the real and the performed. Think of the Greek theatre, where masks amplified emotions, or the Carnival traditions, where they liberated the wearer from social constraints. Here, the mask suggests a playful subversion, a momentary escape into another self, engaging with a deep, subconscious desire to explore hidden aspects of the personality. The game itself, with its element of chance and strategy, becomes a stage for displaying human psychology—our hopes, fears, and the eternal quest for control over fate. Observe how such motifs resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings as they traverse the corridors of time.