The Russian Ball – In the Supper Room (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VII) 1863

Winslow Homer made this print, titled "The Russian Ball – In the Supper Room," for Harper's Weekly in 1863. It depicts a society event, hinting at the complex social dynamics during the Civil War era. The image creates meaning through its detailed depiction of fashion, social interactions, and the physical setting of the ball. This was a period of immense social change in the United States, marked by the Civil War and shifting class structures. Harper's Weekly was a prominent journalistic institution at the time and Homer's work offers a window into the leisure activities of the elite during wartime. The very fact that such events continued while the nation was at war speaks volumes about the social stratification of the time. Was Homer's image a celebration of these events or a subtle critique? To understand this artwork better, one might delve into the archives of Harper's Weekly, social registers, fashion plates, and other primary source documents of the period. Art, after all, is deeply embedded in its social and institutional context.