Costume portrait of the margravine as a magician.
The richly decorated costumes show great detail, such as delicately patterned fabrics, with pearl and stone beading. The variety of costumes is also impressive: Sibylla Augusta as a shepherdess, as a bacchante or as Goddess of the Hunt, Diana, as a Hungarian, a magician, or the embodiment of winter. National costumes, professions and mythological dress are also included. Originally, Sibylla Augusta had more than 70 portraits installed in the hall of mirrors of her new pleasure palace; 56 of them remain.
Costume portrait of the margrave as a Turk.
Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm appears in these costume portraits as a strangely dressed African, or as a Turk, no doubt inspired by his nickname, “Türkenlouis.” Some of the costumes have female equivalents. The prince poses as a small hunter, a “Moor”, or a harlequin. The gouache on vellum paintings are likely the work of Ludwig Ivenet. They were probably painted during Ludwig Wilhelm’s lifetime (1655–1707), and thus before Favorite Palace was built. Many of the frames are painted with lacquer decorations.
Margravine Sibylla Augusta dressed as a bacchante, a gardener, and a slave.
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The paintings prove that masked balls were popular, even at the Margrave of Baden-Baden's court. Such events also allowed the hostess to wear clothing entirely different from what she usually wore, for example the dress of a commoner. At least some of the costumes must have really existed, as one of the coats from Ludwig Wilhelm's Persian costume was loot from the Turkish Wars.
