Box Office Possibly 1893 - 1894

"Box Office" is a woodcut print by Swiss artist Félix Vallotton, created sometime between 1893 and 1894. The artwork depicts a crowd of people lined up outside a theater box office, likely awaiting tickets to see a performance of "Ruy Blas" or "Polyeucte," as indicated by the signs on the buildings. Vallotton's stark black and white aesthetic emphasizes the anonymity of the crowd, their individual faces obscured by the thick lines of the woodcut. The lone figure of a uniformed ticket seller stands out against the backdrop of the crowd, highlighting the societal structures that regulate access to entertainment and cultural events. This artwork captures the stark realities of social class and the pursuit of leisure in late 19th-century society. The use of woodcut printing as a medium further contributes to the artwork's symbolic resonance, mirroring the stark black and white divides of social structure and its inherent restrictions.