Who painted A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris?

A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris was painted by American 19th Century in 1867.

Where can I see A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris?

A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris?

A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris

American 19th Century , 1867

A Parisian Ball - Dancing at the Mabille, Paris is an ink print by the Impressionist artist American 19th Century. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is a wood‑engraved print titled *A Parisian Ball – Dancing at the Mabille, Paris*.

About this work

Overview

The work is a wood‑engraved print titled *A Parisian Ball – Dancing at the Mabille, Paris*. It captures a densely populated ballroom scene, with numerous figures in formal attire filling the foreground and receding into a packed interior. The composition conveys the immediacy of a social gathering, rendered in a compact, bustling tableau.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a fashionable soirée at the famed Mabille ballroom, where men in tailcoats and top hats mingle with women in voluminous gowns. The crowd appears engaged in conversation and movement, suggesting the convivial atmosphere of late‑19th‑century Parisian nightlife. The crowded perspective emphasizes the social dynamism and collective experience of the event.

Technique & Style

Executed as a wood engraving, the print relies on stark, scratchy lines and dense cross‑hatching to model forms and suggest texture. The rapid, sketch‑like strokes create a sense of motion and turbulence, while the contrast between dark outlines and lighter spaces heightens the impression of a lively, slightly chaotic scene.

History & Provenance

The print was produced as a commercial illustration of contemporary Parisian entertainment, likely intended for circulation in periodicals or as a souvenir. Its association with the Mabille, a well‑known dance hall, situates the work within the visual culture that documented urban leisure activities during the era.

Artist & collection

Artist

American 19th Century

This artist painted everyday American life in the 1800s. Look at *Farmhouse in Mahantango Valley*—a quiet, sunlit scene of rural Pennsylvania. *Boy and Girl* shows two children standing close, their faces turned toward…