Drawing of a fancy dress costume 1500

Leonardo da Vinci made this drawing of a fancy dress costume. The drawing gives us a glimpse into the performative and theatrical culture of Renaissance court life, a world in which elaborate costumes and festivities played a significant role. This androgynous figure challenges traditional gender norms. The individual’s attire mixes elements that might have been seen as masculine, such as the bare legs, with more decorative, feminine details like the puffed sleeves and feathered cap. It raises questions about how identities were negotiated and expressed through clothing and performance. Leonardo, as a gay man in a heteronormative society, understood the performative nature of identity. The gaze is directed outward. Da Vinci pushes us to contemplate the ways in which the external presentation of self influences the internal sense of identity. What does it mean to dress up, to put on a persona, and how does this affect our understanding of who we are?