Published: 2025-11-17

Masquerades: A study in the culture and customs of the 18th-century magnate class (part 1)

Anna Penkała-Jastrzębska
Saeculum Christianum. Historical Writings
Section: Rozprawy i Artykuły
https://doi.org/10.21697/sc.2025.32.2.13

Abstract

This article is devoted to magnate masquerades as a distinct form of entertainment that gained tremendous popularity in the 18th century. The creation of a kind of “world turned upside down” reinforced among participants a sense of social equality, temporarily dissolving the barriers typical of everyday interactions. This article proposes a new approach to the study of magnate masquerades, drawing on a variety of accounts and sources - both those describing the events themselves (as found in handwritten newspapers) and private correspondence.

Keywords:

masquerade, 18th century, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, magnate class, noble court

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Citation rules

Penkała-Jastrzębska, A. (2025). Masquerades: A study in the culture and customs of the 18th-century magnate class (part 1). Saeculum Christianum. Historical Writings, 32(2), 162–174. https://doi.org/10.21697/sc.2025.32.2.13

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