The Waltz

A dimly lit antechamber, slightly removed from the dazzling Parisian high society and a grand ballroom filled with light. There, couples who have escaped the crowds are quietly waltzing in intimate proximity.

In fact, the background of this work is richly imbued with the personal experiences and playful spirit of the painter Zorn himself, who deeply loved dance. Ballrooms in Paris at the time were always so crowded that it was impossible to even take proper steps. He was drawn to the sight of people moving to smaller rooms to escape such commotion and dance in peace, and thus depicted this dramatic and intimate scene.

The man escorting and dancing with the woman in the foreground was originally modeled after a French banker. However, just before submitting it to a prestigious salon, Zorn surprisingly repainted the face as his own. Furthermore, in the shadows behind them, a lonely man (art critic Armand Dayot) is depicted gazing enviously towards the viewer, masterfully illustrating the light and shadow of human relationships hidden within a glamorous setting.

This masterpiece, beautiful in its contrast of light and shadow, was exhibited at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and purchased by American magnate George Vanderbilt. Zorn, who loved his works as if they were his own children, later lamented the separation in his autobiography, saying, 'It is sad that the painting has gone far away to a castle in the American countryside, and I will never see it again.'

The glamorous steps, the drama hidden in the shadows, and the painter's deep affection for his work. The sight of them continuing to dance in the dimly lit room appears almost like an illusion, eternally revolving within the painter's memory.