The Ball

In a large reception hall, elegantly dressed couples converse and dance to the music played by performers on an upper balcony. The two figures seated at a table are Albrecht IV of Bavaria and his wife Kunigunde of Austria, suggesting that this print depicts a specific festival that took place in Munich in 1500. While the depiction of three-dimensional space in the print is not convincing, the engraver’s attention to the details of the extravagant costumes successfully convey the courtly pageantry of the festive occasion.