Gezelschap tijdens een receptie en tijdens een bal Possibly 1800 - 1826

George Cruikshank created this print, Gezelschap tijdens een receptie en tijdens een bal, using etching and watercolour. The print is divided into two distinct registers, each depicting a social scene—a reception and a ball—held aloft by caricatured figures. Cruikshank uses the structure of the divided frame to set up a semiotic contrast. The top panel, ‘A Rout,’ shows an interior scene crowded with figures. The composition is dense, and the use of colour is muted, conveying a sense of formal disarray. Below, ‘A Ball’ presents a scene of dynamic movement. The figures dance, and the colour palette is brighter, reflecting a heightened sense of activity. Each scene is framed by grotesque figures, their exaggerated features serving as a commentary on the excesses and absurdities of high society. Cruikshank employs caricature not just as a mode of representation but as a critical tool. The print destabilizes the values associated with social gatherings, exposing the underlying tensions and artificiality of social rituals.