The Opera Ball: You are having too much fun!
1868, printed 1920
Medium
Wood engraving on cream Japanese paper
Dimensions
Image: 16 × 22.4 cm (6 5/16 × 8 7/8 in.); Sheet: 32.3 × 47.1 cm (12 3/4 × 18 9/16 in.)
Classification
wood engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
30402
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Etienne Carjat’s “The Opera Ball: You are having too much fun!” captures the lively spirit of Parisian nightlife during the Second Empire. Created in 1868, the wood engraving depicts the exuberant atmosphere of the masked balls held at the Paris Opera, where society mingled in costume amid music, dance, and playful excess. The witty title suggests a lighthearted moment of social commentary, typical of Carjat’s work as a caricaturist and photographer who chronicled the cultural scene of his day. Printed on delicate cream Japanese paper in 1920, this impression highlights the refined qualities of wood engraving, a technique prized for its crisp lines and ability to reproduce lively scenes for wider audiences. Though originally designed for illustration, the print’s careful craftsmanship elevates it to a work of art in its own right, preserving the fleeting energy of 19th-century entertainment. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings collection, the piece offers modern viewers a charming glimpse into the opulent yet ephemeral world of Second Empire revelry.
About the Artist
Etienne Carjat · 1828–1906
Étienne Carjat (1828–1906) was a French photographer, caricaturist, and journalist who became one of the defining portraitists of nineteenth-century Parisian cultural life. Born in Fareins in the Ain department, he arrived in Paris as a young man and initially made his name as a caricaturist and writer, contributing to several satirical publications and cofounding the journal Le Boulevard in 1861....