A Parisian Ball—Dancing at the Mabille, Paris

A Parisian Ball—Dancing at the Mabille, Paris, created by the American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910), is a dynamic example of 19th-century American illustration. Published in 1867 by the widely circulated weekly journal Harper's Weekly, this piece is a wood engraving on paper, a common print medium utilized for mass media dissemination at the time. Homer, then focused on commercial illustration before his transition to oil painting, captures the vibrant, cosmopolitan social scene of the Second Empire Paris for his audience back in the United States. The resulting image provided Americans a glimpse into European high society and the rapidly modernizing urban environment.

The subject focuses on the Mabille Gardens, a famous open-air dance hall known for its lively and sometimes scandalous atmosphere. Homer visually translates the energy of the ball through complex figure grouping and rapid movement, highlighting the elaborate gowns and interactions among the dancers. Homer’s technique, while constrained by the limitations of the wood engraving medium, still conveys sharp detail and atmospheric depth, characteristic of his observational skill. The work contrasts the perceived glamour of Parisian nightlife with the stark black-and-white visual vocabulary of the print.

As an important historical record of both Parisian culture and American illustrated journalism, this impression is held in the extensive prints and drawings collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The work, created during a pivotal moment in American art history, secured its place in the public domain, allowing high-resolution prints to be studied and accessed by researchers worldwide.