Balls and receptions scenes in painting and art

Frederick Vezin (1884-1885) At The Ball
Oil on canvas, 1925 94 x 78.1 cm ( 37 x 30,7 inch )
Private art collection

image: Public domain

Characteristic features of genre scenes in painting of the 18th and 19th centuries balls and social receptions

The paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries reflected many aspects of social life, including balls and social receptions. Genre scenes depicting these events had several characteristics:

1. Luxury and elegance: In these paintings, special attention was paid to the description of luxury and elegance. The paintings were characterized by bright costumes, luxurious interiors and details that convey the sophistication of the event.
2. Social hierarchy: Genre scenes depicted various strata of society, from the highest aristocracy to the lower classes. Often in the paintings one could see different classes interacting with each other.
3. Revealing the subtext: Genre scenes in painting of the 18th and 19th centuries were often permeated by a subtext reflecting social, cultural or political changes. They sometimes conveyed a hidden message or criticism of social norms and institutions.
4. The illusion of the moment: The painters sought to convey the vividness and immediacy of what is happening, creating the illusion of a frozen moment in time. The paintings could depict dances, conversations, greetings and other actions so that the viewer could feel the atmosphere and emotions of the event.

5. Special attention to detail and composition: Genre scenes were detailed and carefully formed in compositional terms. The placement of characters, lighting and the transfer of decorative elements significantly influenced the perception of the painting and conveyed its aesthetics.

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Balls and receptions

Pictures:

Three Is A Crowd :: Albert B. Wenzell	A New Purchase :: Albert Roosenboom	Ready for the Ball :: Eduardo Leon Garrido
Preparing For The Ball :: Auguste Toulmouche	The Ball Mask :: Jules Frederic Ballavoine	Sortee in a Rococo Interior :: Benjamin Eugene Fichel
Vanity :: Auguste Toulmouche	The Candlelight Dance :: Gustav Wilhelm Blom	Before The Masked Ball :: Noel Saunier
Vanity :: Pierre Charles Comte	Valsen :: Anders Zorn	The Blue Dress :: Auguste Toulmouche
Susanna and the Old Gentlemen :: Pierre Andre Brouillet	Private concert :: Jean Beraud	At The Ball :: Frederick Vezin
The Italian comedians :: Jean-Antoine Watteau	The Masked Beauty :: John Harrison Witt

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User User Rating: 400 June 11, 2018

Ball painting is always pompous, luxurious, pretentious. The paintings depict characters who care very much about their appearance and the impression produced on others. Even if this is not a masquerade, the characters try to hide their true face, presenting instead an artificially created image, but the skillful brush of the artist always clears up the situation and shows the viewer all the facets of the plot.