Beautifully painted lady with the Saint Servatius Bridge in the background. In Maastricht, self-made carnival costumes are very popular. Some Maastricht people put their heart and soul into their costumes (pekskes) for a whole year. And because Maastricht carnival, by Rhineland tradition, largely takes place outside in the streets, the three carnival colours red, yellow and green dominate the street scene on those days.
Also, not many carnival revellers wear masks. However, you do see many artfully painted faces and lavish headdresses. This is probably because celebrating carnival was banned during World War II. Walking around masked was completely out of the question until after 1949, so it gradually fell into disuse. I don't mind, it's lovely to portray such a beautifully painted lady. By the way, everything is largely fantasy (including the make-up).
Karen Nijst has lived in and near her beloved hometown of Maastricht for many years. She currently works as a web developer (Kahlo Websites in Hapert, Brabant) and is responsible for both programming and graphic design . The latter has undoubtedly influenced some of the drawings you can see.. Read more…