Rifolard opens the ball...

The image captures a moment of social gathering, illustrating the customs of public dance events in mid‑nineteenth‑century France. By focusing on the act of opening the ball, the composition emphasizes the role of the host in orchestrating communal leisure, while the surrounding figures convey the variety of social participants present at such occasions.

Executed as a lithographic print, the piece employs fine line work and tonal shading characteristic of mid‑1800s French illustration. The artist renders interior details—furniture, drapery, and attire—with a degree of realism that balances narrative clarity with the brisk, observational style typical of contemporary newspaper graphics.

First appearing in Le Charivari, a widely circulated satirical weekly, the print reached a broad readership shortly after its 1848 publication. It was subsequently reprinted in collections of the “Banqueters” series, and later entered museum and private collections as an example of period press illustration.

The print belongs to a broader visual tradition that documented everyday French life, a focus shared by artists such as Honoré Daumier. Like Daumier’s works, it offers a snapshot of contemporary social practices, reflecting both the public’s appetite for visual commentary and the newspaper’s role in disseminating such images.