The Ball
Signed lower left: Gaston la Touche
A painter who fused the charm and elegance of classical and fête galante themes in his art, Gaston la Touche’s greatest success came during the 1890s. He became one of the first artists to follow the lead of Ernest Meissonier and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes in the formation of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and their alternative Salon at the Palais de l’Industrie. This change in venue brought a change in la Touche’s art: he abandoned the somber domestic scenes that occupied him during the 1880s and adopted a soft palette, Impressionist touch, and more joyous subjects. His works from this period can be compared to those of Watteau: images of women in flowing chiffon dresses, lush parks with fountains and mythological sculpture, nymphs mingling with eighteenth-century figures, commedia dell’arte characters and lovers conversing in sumptuous interiors.
Although the art of an earlier century inspired la Touche’s subjects, his painting technique was thoroughly modern: his friends Bracquemond and Manet, the latter of whom included him in his Bar at the Folies Bergère, advised him. The present work is an excellent example of his approach: groups of dancers are painted in thin strokes of soft color over a burnt sienna ground. The result is an image that is at once delicate and rich.
Selected Museum Collections:
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Alençon; Dayton Art Institute, OH; Musée de l’Ancien Evêché, Evreux; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Le Mans; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille; Musée d’Orsay and Musée du Petit Palais, Paris; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen; Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes; Musée national du château et des Trianons, Versailles
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News on the artist
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Now at the Musée de Grenoble: #Fantin-Latour: a fleur de peau. https://t.co/GKUBU7pAnk #Realism #Impressionism #exhibitionsIwishIcouldseeMarch 21, 2017 @ 8:36 PM UTC
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#Pissarro & #Melbye - Exhibition radically challenges ideas on the birth of Impressionism https://t.co/9aLfVHwPpV #ImpressionismMarch 17, 2017 @ 4:22 PM UTC
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Fondation #Beyeler Exhibition reveals a fresh and sometimes unexpected facet of Claude #Monet https://t.co/ZKsSnvSkdx #ImpressionismJanuary 24, 2017 @ 4:44 PM UTC
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Rediscovering #Daubigny , an Unsung Influence on the Impressionists https://t.co/nPa7zTFG4d #Impressionism #BarbizonMarch 15, 2016 @ 3:01 PM UTC
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#Daubigny, Monet, Van Gogh: Impressions of Landscape is open now at the Taft Museum of Art- https://t.co/8BlaBpUD0P #Barbizon #ImpressionismMarch 10, 2016 @ 5:50 PM UTC
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MoMA Plans a Fall Show Centered on Francis #Picabia https://t.co/bf8DwppOPD #ImpressionismFebruary 19, 2016 @ 4:51 PM UTC
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Trailer | Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art | The National Gallery, L... https://t.co/RS9nhPxx7B via @YouTube #Impressionism #RomanticismJanuary 19, 2016 @ 10:17 PM UTC
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Opening today at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum, #Barbizon, #Realism, and #Impressionism in France https://t.co/VALGyJ99Av #Corot #CourbetJanuary 14, 2016 @ 5:45 PM UTC
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Watch 1915 Video of #Monet, #Renoir & #Rodin Creating Art, and Edgar #Degas Taking a Stroll http://t.co/EMwiK6fl0d #ImpressionismSeptember 24, 2015 @ 2:51 PM UTC
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Visit the Musée des Avelines, Saint-Cloud, to enjoy their #LaTouche retrospective. http://t.co/3lF2lNx6FVOctober 22, 2014 @ 8:07 PM UTC
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July 21, 2014 @ 6:50 PM UTC
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July 10, 2014 @ 3:08 PM UTC
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Smithsonian's Freer & Sackler Galleries explores #Whistler 's London years http://t.co/0YW797siU7 #Impressionism #exhibitionsIwishIcouldseeMay 2, 2014 @ 2:49 PM UTC
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Major #Monet Part of Newly-Found Gurlitt Art Trove - ArtfixDaily News Feed http://t.co/PLA5uNCD5I via @ARTFIXdaily #ImpressionismMarch 31, 2014 @ 5:24 PM UTC
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February 25, 2014 @ 6:17 PM UTC
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@ncartmuseum acquires Mary #Cassatt painting "Portrait of Madame X Dressed for the Matinée" http://t.co/w2xIGbYIOH #ImpressionismJanuary 23, 2014 @ 3:47 PM UTC
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Freer Gallery celebrates the 155th anniversary of #Whistler 's beginnings as an artist http://t.co/lxC0BSeuxl #Impressionism #exhibitionsSeptember 30, 2013 @ 7:30 PM UTC
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The Clark Art Institute receives major gift including works by #Inness #LaTouche #Mondrian http://t.co/k0l14qgnMK #PostImpressionismApril 2, 2013 @ 8:17 PM UTC
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Exhibition brings over 100 paintings by #ToulouseLautrec to the National Gall. of Australia http://t.co/mzI43EHM #Impressionism #exhibitionsJanuary 2, 2013 @ 8:28 PM UTC
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Pierre-Auguste #Renoir, Moulin de la Galette 1876 (Musée d’Orsay) | ArtBabble http://t.co/1wEgX9m7 via @artbabble #ImpressionismDecember 18, 2012 @ 9:17 PM UTC
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Happy Birthday Claude #Monet, Nov 14, 1840: http://t.co/nBORESYX via @sharethis @metmuseum #ImpressionismNovember 14, 2012 @ 6:36 PM UTC
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Toledo Museum of Art is exclusive U.S. venue for Edouard #Manet portraiture show http://t.co/ThlDTaKT #ImpressionismOctober 11, 2012 @ 2:44 PM UTC
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September 10, 2012 @ 2:54 PM UTC
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Ashmolean buys Manet's Mademoiselle Claus after raising £7.8m http://t.co/8uGc79pb via @guardian #Impressionism #museumsAugust 9, 2012 @ 7:20 PM UTC
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Whistler and Rebellion in the Art World @cmoa http://t.co/g2SsW0x0 via @sharethis #Impressionism #museums #exhibitionsIwishIcouldseeAugust 2, 2012 @ 2:41 PM UTC
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#Manet countdown: @AshmoleanMuseum raising funds to keep Manet's Portrait of Fanny Claus: http://t.co/UWEy77LB #Impressionism #museumsJuly 3, 2012 @ 3:32 PM UTC
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Public’s aid sought in ’90 Gardner Museum heist http://t.co/WQg5xApA #museums #Manet #Degas #ImpressionismJune 14, 2012 @ 10:12 PM UTC
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#Monet 's garden at #Giverny is being recreated @NYBG NY Botanical Garden http://t.co/YE13pg31 #monetsgarden #ImpressionismMay 31, 2012 @ 3:29 PM UTC
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@the_barnes reopens in its new Philadelphia home. Read the NYTimes review & slideshow http://t.co/9DwA0ibG #Impressionism #PostImpressionistMay 21, 2012 @ 5:53 PM UTC
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RT @reuters: Operation Waistcoat recovers #Degas from Swiss heist http://t.co/B3BAHGCX #ImpressionismApril 27, 2012 @ 3:51 PM UTC
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Paradises & Landscapes in the Thyssen Coll. opens in Málaga: http://t.co/bS54sQ4n #Barbizon #PostImpressionist #Impressionism #exhibitionsApril 10, 2012 @ 3:09 PM UTC
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Berthe Morisot Gets Her First Serious Retrospective in 70 Years in Paris | Artinfo http://t.co/a4ZeJi3R #Impressionism #exhibitionsMarch 29, 2012 @ 9:10 PM UTC
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March 27, 2012 @ 2:57 PM UTC
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Looking forward to attending a lecture on " #Renoir and the Democracy of Fashion," @frickcollection http://t.co/YNPnVDi4 #ImpressionismMarch 20, 2012 @ 3:25 PM UTC
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The perfect art history video for a rainy day: #Renoir @frickcollection http://t.co/nEwnJ59R #ImpressionismMarch 1, 2012 @ 4:44 PM UTC
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February 7, 2012 @ 9:13 PM UTC
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January 23, 2012 @ 6:06 PM UTC
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#Monet, #Renoir and Cézanne return @FitzMuseum_UK as famous artworks go on display: http://t.co/676HHuQx #PostImpressionist #ImpressionismJanuary 3, 2012 @ 5:20 PM UTC
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@KunsthausZurich presents "Winter Tales Winter in art from Renaissance to Impressionism" http://t.co/C8Vsd0AB #Impressionism #exhibitionsDecember 13, 2011 @ 3:36 PM UTC
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#Manet painting under export ban while £28m is sought to keep it in UK- http://t.co/OkMNnaDk @guardian #Impressionism #AcademicDecember 9, 2011 @ 4:38 PM UTC
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@GettyMuseum acquires #Manet: portrait horrified the sitter-bet descendants wish she was more open! http://t.co/m9MQZses #ImpressionismDecember 6, 2011 @ 4:05 PM UTC
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@museothyssen has a talent for putting on fabulous exhibitions: Berthe Morisot: An Impressionist woman http://t.co/hDKRVhrE #ImpressionismNovember 16, 2011 @ 3:32 PM UTC
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Take a photo tour of @MuseeOrsay new Impressionist galleries: http://t.co/gmVlnx5n @artinfodotcom #Academic #Impressionism #BarbizonNovember 3, 2011 @ 4:34 PM UTC
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Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay on view in Asia: http://t.co/xNhXdBgT #Realism #Barbizon #Academic #Impressionism #exhibitionsNovember 1, 2011 @ 3:38 PM UTC
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Amon Carter Museum announces major acquisition of an important painting by Mary #Cassatt: http://t.co/QjJrvrLK via @AddThis #ImpressionismOctober 24, 2011 @ 7:43 PM UTC
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New #Impressionism Galleries @MuseeOrsay open this week! Cast impressionism in spectacular new light says TheGuardian @ http://t.co/tL8pHBoiOctober 18, 2011 @ 5:30 PM UTC
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Wow, do I want to see this! #Degas and the Nude @mfaboston opens: http://t.co/tBk0nO6S via @AddThis #ImpressionismOctober 18, 2011 @ 5:20 PM UTC
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Milwaukee Art Museum premieres groundbreaking #Impressionism exhibition focusing on works on paper: http://t.co/cab7L6ar via @AddThisOctober 17, 2011 @ 3:12 PM UTC
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Modern Masters from the Stein Collection moves to Grande Palais, then the Met in Feb! http://t.co/KK3fsxap #Impressionism #PostImpressionistOctober 5, 2011 @ 5:21 PM UTC
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After 30 years, St Louis Art Museum reunites Monet's Water Lilies: http://t.co/YsrOl3Qe #Monet #Impressionism #exhibitionsIwishIcouldseeOctober 4, 2011 @ 10:05 PM UTC
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French Ambassador to visit the Dixon in Memphis for Final Week of Forain Retrospective: http://t.co/eL8AfGbI via @AddThis #ImpressionismOctober 3, 2011 @ 7:07 PM UTC
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A must see small #exhibition: What Degas Learned From Rembrandt at Rijksmuseum http://t.co/laf6uXnz via @huffingtonpost #ImpressionismSeptember 30, 2011 @ 5:49 PM UTC
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The people's painters: what makes a work of art popular? #Impressionism still ranks no. 1: http://t.co/ZMK9eLVY via @guardian #CaillebotteSeptember 30, 2011 @ 4:08 PM UTC
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Was Edgar Degas a Photorealist? London Show Explores Technological Side of His Dancers http://t.co/LTPocvNG @artinfodotcom #ImpressionismSeptember 22, 2011 @ 6:54 PM UTC
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Gustave #Caillebotte's "Man at His Bath" a savvy addition to #mfaboston collection http://t.co/8EzLGS0u #Impressionism #RealismSeptember 22, 2011 @ 4:21 PM UTC
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@mfaboston Deaccessions Eight Paintings to Acquire Nude by Gustave #Caillebotte http://t.co/sMzcHuPH #Impressionism #RealismSeptember 22, 2011 @ 3:34 PM UTC
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See James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room in natural light 1day each month @FreerSackler: http://t.co/Z3T7DdJ via @AddThis #ImpressionismAugust 16, 2011 @ 2:25 PM UTC
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August 12, 2011 @ 3:53 PM UTC
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Here is a wonderful Film of Pierre-Auguste Renoir Painting http://t.co/AvOdPHk via @youtube #ImpressionismAugust 8, 2011 @ 8:28 PM UTC