Decadent young woman. After the dance 1899

Ramón Casas painted this portrait of a ‘Decadent young woman. After the dance’ in the late 19th century. Casas was part of the Catalan Modernisme movement, and was known for his portraits of Barcelona's elite. Here, we see a woman, likely of high society, draped across a green sofa, dress disheveled, a book falling from her hand. The pose suggests a world-weariness, a certain ennui that was fashionable at the time. Yet, it’s hard not to wonder about the unnamed woman herself. Does her languor indicate a kind of protest against the constraints placed on women? Or is this an image of privilege and boredom? Casas captures a moment of stillness, a pause that invites us to consider the complexities of identity, class, and gender in a rapidly changing world. The woman isn't just a symbol of decadence. She is also a person caught between expectations and desires, inviting us to reflect on our own experiences of exhaustion, and perhaps, rebellion.