--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were charming ones as well as…" description: "\"“There were charming ones as well as terrible ones, that I must admit. The painter was particularly entranced by Japanese masks: warriors', actors' and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e79/jean-lorrain-16607_decadence_there-were-charming-ones-as-well-as-terr_419578.jpg" --- # There were charming ones as well as terrible ones, that I… ![“There were charming ones as well as terrible ones, that I must admit. The painter was particularly entranced by Japanese masks: warriors', actors' and courtesans' masks. Some of them were frightfully contorted, the bronze cheeks creased by a thousand wrinkles, with vermilion weeping from the…” quote by Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e79/jean-lorrain-16607_decadence_there-were-charming-ones-as-well-as-terr_419578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e79/jean-lorrain-16607_decadence_there-were-charming-ones-as-well-as-terr_419578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e79/jean-lorrain-16607_decadence_there-were-charming-ones-as-well-as-terr_419578.jpg) > ““There were charming ones as well as terrible ones, that I must admit. The painter was particularly entranced by Japanese masks: warriors', actors' and courtesans' masks. Some of them were frightfully contorted, the bronze cheeks creased by a thousand wrinkles, with vermilion weeping from the corners of the eyes and long trails of green at the corners of the mouths like splenetic beards. 'These are the masks of demons,' said the Englishman, caressing the long black swept-back tresses of one of them. 'The Samurai wore them in battle, to terrify the enemy. The one which is covered in green scales, with two opal pendants between the nostrils, is the mask of a sea-demon. This one, with the tufts of white fur for eyebrows and the two horsehair brushes beside the lips, is the mask of an old man. These others, of white porcelain - a material as smooth and fine as the cheeks of a Japanese maiden, and so gentle to the touch - are the masks of courtesans. See how alike they all are, with their delicate nostrils, their round faces and their heavy slanted eyelids; they are all effigies of the same goddess. The black of their wigs is rather beautiful, isn't it? Those which bubble over with laughter even in their immobility are the masks of comic actors.' That devil of a man pronounced the names of demons, gods and goddesses; his erudition cast a spell. Then: 'Bah! I have been down there too long!' Now he took up the light edifices of gauze and painted silk which were Venetian masks. 'Here is a Cockadrill, a Captain Fracasse, a Pantaloon and a Braggadocio. Only the noses are different - and the cut of their moustaches, if you look at them closely. Doesn't the white silk mask with enormous spectacles evoke a rather comical dread? It is Doctor Curucucu, an actual marionette featured in the Tales of Hoffmann. And what about that one, with all the black horsehair and the long spatulate nose like a stork's beak tipped with a spoon? Can you imagine anything more appalling? It's a duenna's mask; amorous young women were well-guarded when they had to go about flanked by old dragons dressed up in something like that. The whole carnival of Venice is put on parade before us beneath the cape and the domino, lying in ambush behind these masks... Would you like a gondola? Where shall we go, San Marco or the Lido?”” [Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage explores diverse Japanese masks, symbolizing varied identities and the thin line between humanity and performance. **In simple terms:** Masks reveal hidden personas and cultural layers. Key Takeaway Observe how outward appearances shape perception. Themes culture identity art performance duality Mood mysterious thoughtful Type analytical descriptive When to use this quote - museum curation - theatre design - cultural education Key Concepts symbolism anthropology visual storytelling Questions to Reflect On - What does a mask reveal about its wearer? - How do cultural artifacts influence identity? A Different Perspective Interpretation can be subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Decadent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadent/) [Decadents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadents/) [Gods and goddesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-and-goddesses/) [Masks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masks/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ## Related quotes > [“The other evening, in that cafe-cabaret in the Rue de la Fontaine, where I had run aground with Tramsel and Jocard, who had taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-lorrain/the-other-evening-in-that-cafe-cabaret-in-the-rue-de-la-fontaine/) [Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/) > [“Then Chameroy spoke. 'You always put the blame on opium, but as I see it the case of Freneuse is much more complicated. 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And burning with every vice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-lorrain/a-strange-girl-all-phosphorous-and-cantharides-burning-with-every/) [Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/) > [“At this point, the sequence of my memories is disrupted. I sank into a chaos of brief, incoherent and bizarre hallucinations, in which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-lorrain/at-this-point-the-sequence-of-my-memories-is-disrupted-i-sank-into-a/) [Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/) > [“The ring which you are holding, my friend, is identical to that one. 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They did the work very nicely. The claws are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-lorrain/i-had-therefore-to-resign-myself-to-commissioning-a-duplicate-from-a/) [Jean Lorrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/) [Explore all 39 Jean Lorrain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-lorrain/) ## More Decadence quotes > [One defining symptom of decadence is a fondness for vast and nonsensical extravagance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-silverberg/one-defining-symptom-of-decadence-is-a-fondness-for-vast-and/) [Robert Silverberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-silverberg/) > [“Like symbolism, decadence puts forth the idea that the function of literature is to evoke impressions and 'correspondences', rather than to realistically depict the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/like-symbolism-decadence-puts-forth-the-idea-that-the-function-of/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [I think Illium can take care of himself.” “Not if he keeps flirting with you.” A fine, almost elegant tendril of heat, champagne and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-think-illium-can-take-care-of-himself-not-if-he-keeps-flirting-with/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [“(Decadent style) is ingenious, complicated, learned, full of shades of meaning and research, always pushing further the limits of language... forcing itself to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/decadent-style-is-ingenious-complicated-learned-full-of-shades-of/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [“After two years' absence she finally returned to chilly Europe, a trifle weary, a trifle sad, disgusted by our banal entertainments, our shrunken landscapes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/after-two-years-absence-she-finally-returned-to-chilly-europe-a/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [I definitely consider 'Poses' - the whole album in fact - to be kind of a miracle. 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Some of them were frightfully contorted, the bronze cheeks creased by a thousand wrinkles, with vermilion weeping from the corners of the eyes and long trails of green at the corners of the mouths like splenetic beards. 'These are the masks of demons,' said the Englishman, caressing the long black swept-back tresses of one of them. 'The Samurai wore them in battle, to terrify the enemy. The one which is covered in green scales, with two opal pendants between the nostrils, is the mask of a sea-demon. This one, with the tufts of white fur for eyebrows and the two horsehair brushes beside the lips, is the mask of an old man. These others, of white porcelain - a material as smooth and fine as the cheeks of a Japanese maiden, and so gentle to the touch - are the masks of courtesans. See how alike they all are, with their delicate nostrils, their round faces and their heavy slanted eyelids; they are all effigies of the same goddess. The black of their wigs is rather beautiful, isn't it? Those which bubble over with laughter even in their immobility are the masks of comic actors.' That devil of a man pronounced the names of demons, gods and goddesses; his erudition cast a spell. Then: 'Bah! I have been down there too long!' Now he took up the light edifices of gauze and painted silk which were Venetian masks. 'Here is a Cockadrill, a Captain Fracasse, a Pantaloon and a Braggadocio. Only the noses are different - and the cut of their moustaches, if you look at them closely. Doesn't the white silk mask with enormous spectacles evoke a rather comical dread? It is Doctor Curucucu, an actual marionette featured in the Tales of Hoffmann. And what about that one, with all the black horsehair and the long spatulate nose like a stork's beak tipped with a spoon? Can you imagine anything more appalling? It's a duenna's mask; amorous young women were well-guarded when they had to go about flanked by old dragons dressed up in something like that. The whole carnival of Venice is put on parade before us beneath the cape and the domino, lying in ambush behind these masks... Would you like a gondola? 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