The Masked Ball 

Paul Gavarni created this print, depicting ‘The Masked Ball’, in nineteenth-century France. The figures are packed together into a small area, and Gavarni’s use of light and shadow suggests a contrast between the upper and lower classes. Masked balls were public events that blurred social boundaries, creating a space for interactions between different classes. Gavarni's image invites us to consider the politics of spectacle. He challenges the status quo by representing members of high society as debauched or dissolute, and commoners as being curious observers. We may ask, is Gavarni commenting on the artificiality of social distinctions? By studying the prints and periodicals of the time, and the social and cultural history of nineteenth-century France, we can better understand the context in which Gavarni created this image, and the ways in which it challenged the social norms of its time.