Masked Ball at the Opera  1873

by Edouard Manet

Manet came from a well–to–do family, and this painting provides a glimpse of the sophisticated Parisian world he loved. He was uncomfortable in the countryside, preferring instead the finery of the city. These elegant men and coquettish young women are attending a masked ball held each year during Lent. "Imagine," ran a description in the newspaper Figaro, "the opera house...
Size: 
59.1 x 72.5 cm (23 1/4 x 28 9/16 in.)
Medium: 
Oil on canvas
Credit: 
Courtesy of National Gallery of Art, Washington