Between Acts or the Englishwoman of the New Ballet n.d.

Félicien Rops created this print, Between Acts or the Englishwoman of the New Ballet, using soft ground etching, drypoint, roulette, and aquatint. This work reflects the cultural milieu of the late 19th century, a time when European society was grappling with the burgeoning visibility of women in public life, particularly in the arts. In this print we see a ballet dancer, along with another woman, seemingly attending to a seated, clothed man. Rops was a master at capturing the undercurrents of social tension and gender dynamics. The contrast between the partially nude dancer and the fully clothed male figure invites us to consider questions of power, spectatorship, and the commodification of the female form. Rops does not shy away from exploring the complex relationship between the artist, the model, and the male gaze, prompting us to consider who is looking, who is being looked at, and what dynamics are at play. There's a haunting, uneasy beauty to this image; the artist leaves us to grapple with the uncomfortable truths it presents about desire, power, and representation.