A Parisian Ball – Dancing at the Mabille, Paris
Original title: A Parisian Ball – Dancing at the Mabille, Paris (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XI)
kurzbeschreibung
Winslow Homer's 1867 wood engraving takes viewers into the legendary Parisian ball Mabille, capturing the exuberant activity of a dance event. Created for Harper's Weekly, the print depicts the pleasure-seeking life of Parisian society.
Description
Dancing couples in elegant attire fill the ballroom: women in long dresses with ruffles and bows, men in suits and hats. Some figures move in the foreground while others spread through the room, watching the action. The layout gains energy from the animated grouping of bodies, and the even lighting emphasizes contours and fabric details.
Context
Made for the American weekly Harper's Weekly, the engraving appeared on November 23, 1867. The Mabille, a well-known garden and dance hall in 19th-century Paris, was famed for its lively balls. Homer was in Paris at the time, giving American readers a glimpse of the city's nightlife.
Impact
The dynamic succession of figures and the precise lines of the engraving bring the scene close to the viewer. One feels almost part of the dance, sensing the buoyant mood of the ball.
Technique
As a wood engraving, the image was cut into a woodblock and then printed on paper. Fine strokes and graduated shading attest to the care of execution and allow a detailed rendering of figures and garments.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)