Whiteface (performance)

Whiteface is a type of performance in which a dark person uses makeup in order to appear white-skinned, usually to portray a stereotype.^[1] The term is a reversal of the form of performance known as blackface, in which makeup was used by a performer to make themselves look like a black person, usually to portray a stereotype. Whiteface performances originated in the 19th century, and today still occasionally appear in films. Modern usages of whiteface can be contrasted with blackface in contemporary art.