The artwork titled “Duel After the Masquerade” was created by the artist Kent Monkman in 2007. It belongs to both the postcolonial art and queer art movements, and can be classified as a figurative genre.
The artwork presents a surreal and evocative scene set in a snow-covered landscape. Central to the composition are several figures engaged in dramatic action. Five masked figures surround and support a partially-dressed individual who appears either injured or incapacitated. These masked figures, with their vividly painted faces, evoke a sense of cultural ritualistic elements, blending an air of mystery with confrontation. To the right, a figure clad in an elaborate white fur coat strides away from the group, carrying a paint palette, suggesting an artistic context. The background reveals a stately house with warm, inviting lights that contrast with the cold and tense atmosphere of the scene. Scattered on the ground are broken frames, suggesting a disrupted or incomplete act of creation. The painting collectively explores themes of identity, conflict, and narrative within a postcolonial and queer framework.
