Epic Party: Costume, culture and controversy

Student masquerades 

In the nineteenth century, Delft students organised masquerades every five years as part of lustrum celebrations. These colourful parades attracted thousands of visitors and were an important part of the celebrations of the Royal Academy, the Delft Student Corps and its relationship with the city of Delft.  

Reliving Byzantine opulence 

The 1903 masquerade was based on the Imperial Ascent of Nikephoros II Phocas in 963. This spectacle was more than a theatrical performance, it was a large-scale re-enactment of Byzantine opulence with impressive costumes, sets and musical accompaniment. The masquerade was a stage, a symbol that demonstrated the students' grandeur and cultural superiority, as well as its abilities and value to the city of Delft. 

The city full of light, music and costume

The masquerade consisted of two parades through Delft, with the city being illuminated at night with torches and braziers. Between the parades, visitors could enter the festival grounds to admire costumed characters and music for a fee. The collaboration with artists contributed to an unprecedented focus on authenticity and historical accuracy. Costumes were made of luxurious materials, such as silk from Smyrna and precious stones from Bohemia and Paris. Everything from the decorations of banquet halls to the music was carefully designed to enhance the historical illusion. 

An end to the tradition 

Although the masquerades were initially intended to show students in a more positive light, the event increasingly became an exclusive elite celebration, leading to growing criticism. Changing social attitudes towards this lavish spectacle combined with the outbreak of World War I marked the definitive end of traditional student masquerades. 

For extra information about the exhibition, visit: https://erfgoed.tudelft.nl/en/publications/epic-party

Organised by: Team Academic Heritage, History & Art