Cocktails (1926) by Archibald MotleyMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston
Since the Roman festival of Bacchus, party scenes have often played a central role in the artistic imagination. But what is it about party scenes that has so inspired artists?
Here we take a tour through the carnivalesque, the celebratory, and the sociable in art to find out what it is that brings us together...
Luncheon of the Boating Party (1880-1881) by Pierre-Auguste RenoirThe Phillips Collection
1. Renoir's relaxed revelry
What better way to spend a day than in the warm summer sun, amongst friends, taking a boating trip, and sipping a fine wine? In this masterpiece, Pierre-Auguste Renoir manages to distill this atmosphere with a combination of still life, figure, and landscape painting. The result? A tightly executed scene of companionship, revelry, and relaxation.
Cocktails (1926) by Archibald MotleyMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston
2. Motley's refined cocktail party
Seated around a table sit five women deep in conversation. They wear cocktail dresses, fascinators, and cloche hats, and sip their cocktails slowly. Dinner is soon to be served. In the era of Prohibition, each woman takes pleasure as the cool liquid of their drinks slips down their throats.
In what looks like a calm and friendly atmosphere, this party is the epitome of a civil and elegant celebration. However, in contrast to the painting of the monks on the wall behind them, we like to think that as the cocktails continued and the night went on, this party would have taken a lively turn.
A Ceremonial Poetry Party in March, one of a set of five (circa 1830) by Ikeda KosonSmithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
3. Koson's wine and poetry party
From a set of five works, each scroll depicts an ancient Japanese imperial court ritual (Gosseku) which had evolved from Chinese models during the Nara (710–794) and Heian (794–1185) periods. This particular painting made on silk displays the custom of courtiers sending wine down the stream and reciting pages of poetry. Next time you're by a river it's worth waiting downstream to see what might come your way!
Romans during the Decadence (1847) by Thomas CoutureMusée d’Orsay, Paris
4. Couture's carnival
The large proportions of this painting by French painter Thomas Couture are nothing if not akin to the grandiose decadence and debauchery taking place in this party scene. As a history painting, the work hints at Greek and Renaissance traditions in order to offer a moral message to the viewer.
This message is embodied by the varying states of the revelers within the painting: from drunken dancers and passionate lovers, to young men and women post-celebration, sat in a distracted state of ecstasy and desolation.
All night long (1963-1964) by Michael AndrewsNational Gallery of Victoria
5. Andrews' high society bash
Collapsing the indoor and outdoor party scenes within these three panels provides an overwhelming and exciting visual scene in Michael Andrew’s painting.
As the painting plays out across this large canvas, unknown figures stand, sit, and crawl around the party. This gives a collage-like aesthetic in line with Andrew’s method of cutting figures from magazines and photographs, in order to re-size, abstract, and re-model them within this impressive landscape of music, dance, and passion.
The Feast of the Bean King (1640-1645) by Jacob JordaensKunsthistorisches Museum Wien
6. Jordaens' debauched feast
Under the tutelage of Rubens, Jordaens managed to combine an overwhelming intricate and detailed composition with a righteous moral message. In a similar way to Couture’s scene of bacchanalia, Jordaens shows us the highs of drinking amongst friends and loved ones, alongside the lows of over-indulgence in the left hand corner.
What’s your favorite party scene from art history?
