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After The Ball, by Ramon Casas (1899)

Have you ever returned home after a party or a concert, thrown yourself onto the couch, your head still spinning from all that you’ve seen, too tired to even take off your shoes?

That’s exactly what this painting, by Ramon Casas, depicts. The title tells us that this is a ‘young decadent’ woman spread out on the couch, seemingly in bliss, after a long night out.

What makes this painting so radical for it’s time, is that it shows a much more naturalistic, uninhibited femininity. We can imagine this young lady returning home and immediately throwing herself into a comfortable position, her feet sore from dancing and her mind elsewhere. She’s doing something which would at the time have been considered unladylike, and yet it’s deeply relatable.

Another feature that makes this painting stand out, is the original and vibrant use of color. The little yellow notebook contrasts beautifully with the creamy green of the cushions, and the woman’s midnight blue dress makes her lipstick stand out in bold red.

Remember, this painting was produced at a time when women were expected to be formally ‘represented’ in society once they reached a suitable age to be married. And wealthy young women were even expected to pose for portraits that could then be sent to agreeable suitors.

Whereas in this painting, we see a realistic depiction of the kind of contented fatigue one experiences after returning home. one of the central characteristics of ‘realist’ art, and indeed what makes it modernist, is that it depicts the private sphere, in which women were not expected to pose or present themselves as idealized subjects.

And then there’s the superb depiction of her body language. Look at the way she’s lying halfway between the floor and the cushions. How her neck disappears into the folds of her dress. Her hips are raised in that way one does when one is trying to avoid putting one’s shoes on the couch. The title may indicate that this is a ‘decadent’ woman, but what makes her decadent isn’t her morals, it’s her relaxation.

Julian

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