Mensen verkleed als hovelingen van het hof van Lodewijk XV van Frankrijk 1855 - 1875

This is an anonymous stereoscopic photograph of people dressed as courtiers of Louis XV. The photograph captures a group enacting a version of 18th-century aristocratic life. The desire to emulate and, in some ways, appropriate the styles of the French court speaks volumes about the aspirations and fantasies of the time. These acts of dressing up allowed individuals to explore different facets of identity, crossing boundaries of class, and perhaps even gender. The performance aspect is particularly fascinating because it reveals how identities are not fixed but are instead fluid, shaped by our desires and the roles we choose to play. It invites us to reflect on the roles we perform and the masks we wear, and to consider how our identities are constantly shaped by the stories we tell about ourselves.