Reference number
P02875
Author
Paret y Alcázar, Luis
Title
Masked Ball
Chronology
Ca. 1771
Technique
Óleo
Support
Tabla
Measures
40 cm x 51 cm
School
Española
Theme
Género y sociedad
On display
Yes
Procedence
Acquisition, 1944

A panoramic representation of a celebration held, perhaps, in the Prince's Theater in Madrid. The boxes are filled with people watching the crowd dancing on the ground floor, below. They show various emotions and sentiments, dancing and flirting to the sound of music being played by the orchestra in the main box.

The innumerable figures are sketched in with clear, rapid brushstrokes, as was Paret's custom. The affected rococo style and the complex composition, with a low viewpoint, are characteristic of his earliest works. The fine brushstrokes and pastel colors help to suggest the feeling of nocturnal festivities and the energy of the crowd.

This was not a commissioned work; it was painted on the artist's own initiative, as is explained in the inscription with which he signs it. It comes from the collections of the Infante don Luis and was later listed among the possessions of the Marquis of Salamanca.

Room 88

Location on the map

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