Watercolour sketch created for publication in a magazine/newspaper, probably The Penny Illustrated Paper. The illustration is has been signed by the artist and is dated 1897. It is captioned the 'First Covent Garden Ball of the Season' and shows a large crowd of people wearing a range of fancy dress and elaborate costumes in the midst of a lively dance.
The illustration was painted by the artist, A.J.Finberg (1866-1939) who produced a wide range of images for The Graphic and the Illustrated London News. He also worked as the art critic for several papers including the Manchester Guardian and the Saturday Review.
This item is one of several theatrical drawings from a collection of sketches commissioned from contemporary artists to be printed in illustrated magazines. The collection was donated to the museum by Sir William James Ingram in 1914.
