"A Parisian Ball – Dancing at the Casino (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. XI)" by Winslow Homer, created in 1867, is a significant example of American periodical illustration from the post-Civil War era. This detailed wood engraving provided contemporary readers with a visual account of international social customs and high-society leisure activities.
The scene captures the energetic atmosphere of a bustling European casino ballroom, filled with couples in motion. Homer expertly utilizes the stark contrast inherent in the wood engraving medium to depict the interplay of light and shadow, illuminating the elegant gowns of the women and the formal attire of the men engaged in dancing. The composition focuses on the joyful movement and the structured social interactions defining these glamorous Parisian gatherings.
Published in Harper's Weekly, Volume XI, this work demonstrates Homer’s crucial early focus on commercial illustration, documenting both American life and foreign spectacles for a rapidly expanding national audience. While celebrated primarily for his later oil paintings, Homer’s prolific output of prints defined the visual culture of the 1860s, making these periodical illustrations invaluable historical records. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this specific impression of A Parisian Ball – Dancing at the Casino, preserving an important facet of the artist’s career and the transatlantic fascination with European social life during this period.
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