The artwork entitled “Ballet scene” was created by the artist Ilya Repin in the year 1875. This work, executed in the medium of oil on cardboard, measures 29 x 22.5 cm. It is an exemplar of the Realism art movement and falls under the genre of genre painting, aiming to represent scenes and narratives from everyday life with a sense of authenticity and attention to detail.
As for the description, the artwork vividly depicts a bustling ballet scene. The setting appears to be an opulent theater, with architecture that includes intricate details such as arched entrances and a grand, multi-tiered seating area populated by an audience. The foreground of the piece presents a variety of elegantly dressed figures, suggesting a social event with a sense of movement and liveliness. The brushwork is expressive, the color palette is varied and rich, emphasizing the contrast between the light and shadow. A ballet performance seems to be either in anticipation or has just concluded, as the focus is more on the spectators and the atmosphere rather than on a specific dance. There is a blending of light and colors that conveys a moment captured in time, evoking the experience of attending such an event during the period depicted.