Theatre Masks in Stone Relief

When it comes to record, art and statue photography there is no place in the world quite like the Vatican Museums. I chose to photograph this relief because of the fantastic facial expressions of the four masks. Possibly found at Ostia, this stone relief was acquired in 1804 from Carlo Albacini. These four masks were used in comedies; on the back there are evidently two masks that were used in performing tragedies. In Greek-Roman theatre, actors wore masks like these to indicate their roles to the audience. This stone relief dates back to the second half of the 2nd century AD.

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