The Waltz
Anders Zorn’s The Waltz (1891) is a masterpiece of Gilded Age elegance, capturing the intimacy and energy of late 19th-century Parisian society. The painting’s layered composition moves from a brightly lit ballroom in the background to two couples dancing privately in the foreground, with a solitary observer between them. Acclaimed for its luminous treatment of light, movement, and atmosphere, the work was purchased by George Vanderbilt and has remained at Biltmore House. Following a year-long conservation in 2023–24, its restored vibrancy continues to captivate visitors, reaffirming Zorn’s status as one of the era’s most accomplished portrait and genre painters.
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| Dimensions | Original: 195 cm x 133.5 cm, Small: 78 cm × 53.4 cm, Medium: 117 cm × 80.1 cm, Large: 156 cm × 106.8 cm |
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Price range: $316.00 through $1,668.00
Anders Zorn’s The Waltz (1891) stands as one of the Swedish master’s most acclaimed works, celebrated for its technical brilliance, dynamic composition, and sophisticated depiction of light. Painted at the height of the Gilded Age, the work captures the elegance and intimacy of late 19th-century Parisian social life while revealing Zorn’s skill in balancing movement, narrative, and atmosphere.
The painting is arranged in three distinct yet interconnected scenes. In the foreground, two couples have stepped away from the bustling ballroom, retreating to a dimly lit salon to dance more privately. The “envious and lone man,” as described by Zorn himself, stands in the middle ground observing the scene, while behind a curtain, the crowded ballroom continues in a whirl of motion and light. Zorn’s ability to render this layered composition, with a brightly lit background contrasted against the intimate foreground, was considered a technical triumph.
The path to The Waltz’s final form reveals Zorn’s careful planning. A preparatory study painted in 1890 shows early versions of the figures, including opera singer Märta Petrini in a black dress paired with Count Louis Sparre, with the face of a French banker superimposed on the Count’s body. By the time of the final composition, Zorn had altered the costumes—Petrini now wears a white gown, the banker’s face replaced by Zorn’s own, and another female figure appears in black, possibly modeled after Zorn’s wife, Emma. These changes shifted focus toward the emotional core of the foreground scene.
Purchased by George Vanderbilt at a Chicago exhibition, the painting became part of the Biltmore House collection in Asheville, North Carolina. Zorn himself expressed ambivalence about its location, noting wistfully that his works, like “offspring,” often ended up far from his reach.
In 2023, The Waltz underwent a year-long conservation led by Ruth Barach Cox. The painting was re-lined, re-stretched, cleaned of discolored varnish, and stabilized, revealing renewed vibrancy and detail. Today, the restored work once again hangs in the Second Floor Living Hall at Biltmore House, where its interplay of light, color, and motion continues to captivate visitors.
Measuring 195 cm × 133.5 cm, The Waltz remains a masterpiece of Zorn’s mature style—an enduring testament to his mastery of narrative, technique, and the evocation of atmosphere.