The Ball at the Mansion House 1775

"The Ball at the Mansion House," a stipple engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi, depicts a scene of revelry with a central figure of a woman, perhaps a queen, adorned in elegant drapery and attended by cherubic figures. The title, "The Ball at the Mansion House," and the inscription, "The Right Hon. John Wilkes, Lord Mayor," suggests this is a depiction of a specific historical event. The composition, with its symmetrical balance and delicate lines, is characteristic of the stipple technique popularized by Bartolozzi in the late 18th century.