Le bal masqué (1854)

François-Louis Picard is the artist behind "Le bal masqué", dated 1854. Context for 1854: Landscape gained new prestige through groups such as the Barbizon painters in France and the Hudson River School in the United States, and by mid-century Realism turned to ordinary people and everyday labour. The invention of lithography around 1796 and its spread in these decades made printed images cheaper and more varied. It is listed in the Figurative collection. The image is in landscape orientation. Background on Figurative: Portraits, group scenes, studies of the nude, and pictures of daily life all belong to figurative art. Over the centuries, painters have used the figure to express social standing, narrative, and emotion.

Everything for "Le bal masqué" arrives digitally: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. Once payment is confirmed, an email brings the download link, and from there you decide how to print it, whether at home, at a print shop, or through an online service. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Figurative works draw attention to the human presence, the gesture, and the emotional tone, so they work particularly well as a standalone focal point in living rooms, studies, and bedrooms. Matching the frame to the image proportions avoids cropping. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

French, 1820–1866

If you like the visual language of François-Louis Picard, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.