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Dance in Art · 1904
Dance grotesque : No. 16c
Unknown artist
- Dance:
- dance
- Source:
- loc
- Rights:
- Public Domain
This work should not appear in a gallery of dance in art, as it contains no dance content or imagery.
What you are looking at
This is a printed catalogue or programme page for vocal and instrumental music, likely from early 20th-century Germany or Austria. The page is bordered with ornate blue art-nouveau decoration featuring intertwining floral and organic motifs. The central rectangle contains a typeset list of musical pieces, organized in columns with composer names and opus numbers. At the top, a header reads "Vocal- und Instrumental-" (Vocal and Instrumental), and below that "à Erfolgsang." (with Success/Successful Performance). The layout is typical of concert programmes or music publisher catalogues from the 1904 period. The typography is clean and formal, characteristic of early 20th-century German printing. At the bottom of the page, a publisher's mark or colophon appears to read "R. WYTHARK & CO" or similar. The entire composition suggests this is a cover or interior page from a music catalogue or concert listing, not a depiction of dance in performance.
The dance depicted
This is not a depiction of dance. The image shows a printed music catalogue or concert programme page listing musical compositions. No dancers, choreography, or dance performance is illustrated.
How it was made
This is a typeset and printed page, likely produced by letterpress or similar mechanical printing technology common in early 20th-century Europe. The decorative border was likely either printed from ornamental type or engraved blocks. The blue colour suggests either hand-colouring or chromolithographic printing, though the uniformity suggests the latter. The quality and style of printing and design are consistent with German or Austrian art-nouveau publishing standards of 1904.
About this work
This object is a printed page from a music catalogue or concert programme, dated 1904, featuring an art-nouveau border and a typeset listing of vocal and instrumental compositions. It is not a dance artwork and does not depict dance performance, choreography, or dancers. The cataloguing as "Dance grotesque : No. 16c" appears to be a misidentification or misfiling within the archive.
How to look at it
Observe the interplay between the restrained, functional typography of the music listing and the lavish ornamental border—a characteristic art-nouveau strategy of framing utilitarian information within decorative frames. The layout is hierarchical: the header announces the category of works, and the columns organize compositions by composer and catalogue number.
The period
The page reflects the design aesthetic of European art-nouveau publishing in the early 1900s, an era when decorative typography and printed programmes played an important role in concert and performance promotion. However, the content is musical, not choreographic.
Where it lives
The record indicates the source is the Library of Congress (LOC). This page appears to be catalogued as part of a larger collection, though the catalogue data is minimal.
Questions about this work
Why is this page in a dance archive?
It should not be. This is a printed music catalogue page, not a dance artwork. The catalogue title "Dance grotesque : No. 16c" appears to be an error in indexing or cross-referencing.
What is the art-nouveau border for?
The decorative frame is typical of early 20th-century European publishing design, used to enhance the visual appeal of printed programmes and product catalogues. It signals quality and modernity to the consumer.
Could this page relate to dance indirectly—perhaps listing dance music compositions?
While it is theoretically possible that the list contains compositions intended for dance, the text is too small and unclear in this reproduction to confirm. The header reads 'Vocal and Instrumental Music,' with no apparent reference to dance or choreography.
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