Since antiquity, as an object used to conceal and alter the face, the mask has been an indispensable element of theater and cult ritual. It experienced a revival at the turn of the twentieth century, and imaginative forms of it were used everywhere, not just in arts and crafts and architecture. Whether as a portrait or its own genre, it enriches the visual arts with bold experiments in sculpture, painting, and photography. Early modernity’s enthusiasm for African and Oceanic masks continues this dialogue between the arts and the mask in a completely new way.This is the first publication to assemble all of the varieties and types of this artistic motif—from the frightening to the erotic. Along with many new discoveries, masterpieces by Arnold Böcklin, Jean Carriès, Paul Gauguin, Emil Nolde, and Auguste Rodin form a unique gallery of real and imaginary faces. Exhibition schedule: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, October 21, 2008–February 1, 2009 • Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt, March 8–June 7, 2009 • Ny Carlsberg Glyptothek, Copenhagen, August 6–October 25, 2009 Another publication on masks is available in the Art to Hear series (German edition ISBN 978-37757-2391-6; English edition 978-3-7757-2416-6).