An elderly countess sits upright with a fan in her hand, smiling at four children arranged across her salon. Each child has a separate carved chair and a small pumpkin-shaped bucket resting on their lap. Their masks make the quiet gathering peculiar: a pig, a long-nosed face, a cat and a pale moon marked with tears. Small hands hold the bucket handles as the children wait together.

Dark wool suits, a burgundy dress and a cream dress give the young visitors a formal Halloween appearance. The dresses have covered necklines and sleeves, with pale tights and flat shoes beneath them. Long brown hair falls naturally around the two girls’ costume masks.

Candlelight warms the carved furniture, marble table and deep red walls. Beyond the tall window, drizzle softens a canal lined with small golden lights. Pumpkins sit on the sill, and an old gilt mirror catches the room’s amber glow. Lace, paper masks, velvet and heavy curtains add varied textures to the intimate autumn gathering.