Traditional Venetian masks - Free pictures for commercial use

Why Did Venetians Wear Masks?
The aristocrats wore masks so that no one would recognise them when they drank in bars, gambled, or visited houses of ill-repute… By wearing masks, the aristocracy was able to enjoy the prestige of their social standing without being held back by the risks of being recognised on the street. Nowadays, we wear masks during the Carnival because they look great and we’re harking back to our heritage, but they are not worn at any other time of year. Hundreds of years ago, however, Venetians wore masks for over half of the year. If you were gambling or drinking in night-time establishments, you could have been sitting beside a nobleman — or even the Doge — without even knowing it!