Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Henry Tate Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-william-quiller-orchardson-407" aria-label="More by Sir William Quiller Orchardson" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Sir William Quiller Orchardson</a>
Her First Dance
Presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
actions: processes and functions
adults
anxiety
arts and entertainment
ballroom
chair
clothing and personal items
couch
dance
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
fan
fine arts and music
flirtation
furnishings
garland
gesticulating
greeting
group
groups
history
instrument, piano
instrument, violin
interiors
isolation
leisure and pastimes
looking / watching
man
music
music and entertainment
musician
objects
people
period: Regency, c.1811-20
places of entertainment
plants and flowers
politics and society
sex and relationships
sitting
society
standing
talking
woman
work and occupations
<p>The popularity of the Scottish artist Orchardson grew steadily until by the 1880s, he was regarded as one of the greatest modern painters. He specialised in depicting failures of communication between people on social occasions. Here, this failure is between an experienced young man and a novice who are asked to open the dancing at a ball. The setting recreates a scene of about 1820, so Orchardson imagined actors of about the generation of his parents, a time which the people who first saw this painting could just remember. The wide format and empty space of his pictures emphasises the distances between people. He was much praised for his delicate colouring, often near monochrome.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
Her First Dance
support: 1016 × 1384 mm
frame: 1460 × 1820 × 190 mm
Presented by <a href="/search?gid=999999962" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Sir Henry Tate</a> 1894
<p>The popularity of the Scottish artist Orchardson  grew steadily until by the 1880s, he was regarded  as one of the greatest modern painters. He  specialised in depicting failures of communication  between people on social occasions. Here, this  failure is between an experienced young man and a  novice who are asked to open the dancing at a  ball. The setting recreates a scene of about  1820, so Orchardson imagined actors of about the  generation of his parents, a time which the people  who first saw this <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> could just remember.  The wide format and empty space of his pictures  emphasises the distances between people. He was  much praised for his delicate colouring, often  near <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/m/monochrome" title="Glossary definition for 'Monochrome'"><span>monochrome</span></a>.</p>
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2004-09-03T00:00:00
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actions: expressive actions: postures and motions actions: processes and functions adults anxiety arts and entertainment ballroom chair clothing and personal items couch dance emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas fan fine arts and music flirtation furnishings garland gesticulating greeting group groups history instrument, piano instrument, violin interiors isolation leisure and pastimes looking / watching man music music and entertainment musician objects people period: Regency, c.1811-20 places of entertainment plants and flowers politics and society sex and relationships sitting society standing talking woman work and occupations