CARL FRÖSCHL, 1873

Born in Vienna, 1848, Carl Fröschl was a portrait artist who specialised in the pastel medium. His usual subjects were women and children, and After the Ball is no exception to this, depicting a young girl in bed staring intently at her ballgown and dancing shoes which lie in a haphazard pile on the chair beside her. It is a rare example of his talent for oil painting, and showcases the remarkable sense of character that he was able to capture in his work.

As the title suggests, the painting illustrates a quiet moment following a ball where, having returned home, one of the partygoers has collapsed into her pillow, remembering the events of the evening as she ponders her discarded costume. Fröschl has left her expression ambiguous: it is unclear as to whether her exhaustion is mixed with satisfaction or regret. Is she re-living happy memories of the ball, or did it leave her disappointed? Is she grateful to be resting at last, or is she already wishing for another night of celebration?

It is an unusual contrast to the momentous ballroom scenes found in the art and literature of the 19th century. All swathes of fabric and soft lighting, After the Ball provides an intimate glimpse into the solitude that often follows such festivities, inviting the viewer to wonder about the events leading up to this point, and how they might have affected the outlook of the young girl pictured.