Les polkas

What you are looking at

A lithograph depicting two figures in mid-polka, their bodies caught in an energetic moment of the dance. The figure on the left, dressed in a dark jacket with white stockings and black shoes, has one arm raised expressively while the other gestures outward; their body leans into the movement with considerable verve. The figure on the right wears a white dress with a full skirt and decorative headpiece, their posture responsive to their partner's lead. The composition is tight and intimate, set against a soft gray background with no architectural setting or floor indicated—the focus is entirely on the dancers themselves. The lithographic medium creates subtle tonal gradations that emphasize the figures' volume and the texture of their clothing, particularly the gathered fabric of the white skirt.

The dancing

The dancers appear to be in a closed or semi-closed ballroom hold, with their bodies oriented toward each other. The left figure's raised arm and forward lean suggest the characteristic springy, bouncing energy of the polka, while the right figure's stance indicates responsiveness to the lead. Both dancers have their weight forward and appear to be captured mid-stride, with bent knees suggesting the characteristic hop-step action of the dance. The contrast between the dark-clothed male figure and the light-clothed female figure creates visual balance and emphasizes the gendered partnership convention of ballroom dance.

The dance depicted

This is unmistakably a polka, one of the most popular couple dances of the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The title 'Les Polkas' (The Polkas, in French) and the energetic bodily vocabulary—the bounce, the forward progression, the lively arm carriage—all confirm this identification. The polka originated in Bohemia in the 1830s and became a sensation across Europe and America by the 1840s, dominating ballroom culture through the Victorian era. The image captures the dance's characteristic exuberance: the sprung posture, the quick traveling steps, and the playful, social nature that made it beloved by dancers of all skill levels, from grand ballrooms to local assemblies.

How it was made

This is a lithograph, a planographic printing process that allowed artists to draw directly onto a stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon or ink, then print the image through chemical means. The technique produced relatively economical prints suitable for mass distribution, making images like this accessible to a broad middle-class audience interested in dance instruction, entertainment, or fashion. The soft modeling of tone visible here—the graduated shading that gives the figures dimension—is characteristic of skillful lithographic work. The French publication credit at bottom indicates this was produced for a Parisian or French market, likely as a pattern or instructional illustration for dancers learning the polka's steps and style.

About this work

This is a dance instruction or fashion print documenting the polka as it was danced in the mid-nineteenth century. The lithograph freezes a moment of social partner dancing at its height of popularity, showing not just the steps but the attitude and dress code of polka dancers: the man in dark formal jacket and the woman in a full-skirted white dress, both animated and engaged. The work belongs in a dance gallery because it is a primary visual record of how the polka was actually performed and presented to its contemporary audience—not as a stage spectacle but as a social practice, energetic and intimate, that defined an era of ballroom culture.

How to look at it

Notice the angle of the dancers' bodies and their bent knees: this is the spring and bob that makes the polka distinctive, caught at the moment of upward impulse. The man's raised arm and the woman's responsive posture show the playful, improvisational quality of the dance—not rigid or hieratic, but alive and conversational. The artist has chosen a close, intimate framing that emphasizes the partnership and the vitality of the movement rather than the grand ballroom setting. The clothing tells you as much as the bodies: the woman's fashionable white dress and headdress, the man's dark formal wear, and their intimate proximity all confirm this is a scene of respectable, fashionable social dancing.

The period

The polka erupted into European and American consciousness in the 1840s and dominated ballroom culture through the 1890s. It was democratizing: faster-paced, more fun, and less formally prescribed than the waltz or quadrille, it appealed to younger dancers and to the aspiring middle classes. The mid-nineteenth century saw an explosion of cheap printed instructional materials, fashion plates, and dance scenes for a newly literate, dance-hungry market. Lithography made this proliferation possible, allowing artists and publishers to meet demand for images of current dances and dancers. By the time this print was made—likely the 1870s or 1880s, though the record says 'late 1800s'—the polka was already nostalgic in some circles, but it remained deeply embedded in ballroom practice and in the visual culture of dance.

Where it lives

This lithograph is held in the New York Public Library collections. It was published in France (the imprint credits 'Published and Sold by Rhémond & Medley, 27 Markt Street Phibad', suggesting a London location, though the French title and context suggest French publication or a Franco-British market). It is one of many such dance prints circulating in the nineteenth century as both instructional and entertaining material.

Dance in this work

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