Harlequins check

Patterns and motifs

Frivolous pattern
Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne. They all painted the harlequin, the well-known character from the Italian Commedia dell'arte, which is regarded as a forerunner of the contemporary clown. The reason why the harlequin became such a popular subject in paintings has everything to do with its quirky character and graphic, multi-coloured costume. As the artists started to work more abstractly, the melancholic character was reduced to a few colour fields in the recognizable diamond check. The pattern also pops up in the fashion world: the Dutch designer duo Spijkers and Spijkers for example have been using the frivolous design in their collections for years. Balmain, Miu Miu, Viktor & Rolf and Valentino have already surprised us with striking harlequins checks.

See also our carnival board on Pinterest

 

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