Whiteface is a type of performance in which a person wears theatrical makeup in order to make themselves look like a white person. The term is a reversal of the form of performance known as blackface, in which performers use makeup in order to make themselves look like a black person, usually to exaggerate negative racial stereotypes. 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.