Artwork
Fantastic Symphony: A Ball
Fantastic Symphony: A Ball is a print by the Impressionist artist Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Fantastic Symphony: A Ball is a print by French artist Henri Fantin-Latour, created in 1888. It is part of a series inspired by Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a ballroom scene, capturing the social atmosphere and contemporary fashion of the time. Fantin-Latour portrays a gathering of people, likely cultural figures of his era.
Technique & Style
The scene is characterized by strong contrasts between light and shadow, with dark, blurry figures set against a glowing background achieved through loose, wavy brushstrokes. This chiaroscuro effect creates a dreamlike atmosphere, suggesting movement and music.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation: ; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
Acrobat at the Music Hall
Mademoiselle Bécat at the Cafe des Ambassadeurs (Aux Ambassadeurs: Mlle Bécat)
The Presentation (La présentation)
Les Soutiens de la société
Spanish Dancer
Mlle Bécat at the Café des Ambassadeurs
Tänzerinnen (Dancers)
Prostitution (La Prostitution)
Last Theme of Robert Schumann
Lender Dancing the Bolero in "Chilperic" (Lender dansant le pas du boléro dans "Chilpéric")
Passage of a Soul
Passage d'une Ame (Passage of a Spirit)