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A Confluence of Eccentricity and Aristocracy

  • Evan Lai
  • Jul 19
  • 4 min read

INSIDE THE 1972 ROTHSCHILD SURREALIST BALL

Paris, December 12th, 1972. A chateau – the Château de Ferrières: opulent stately home of dynastial banker Baron Guy de Rothschild and Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, burns with the fire of floodlights on a chilly winter evening. As you dismantle from your ride, you are greeted by feline footmen, lounging on the Ferrières stairs pretending to sleep. Opening the gates you are met with an even more enigmatic scene: a maze of entwined lace and cobweb ribbons, which precedes a monumental dinner spectacle. Plates of fur, taxidermied tortoises and dead fish adorn the table. A sugar sculpture of a reclining nude for dessert. Outlandish to say the least, and Surrealist to put aptly, but truly: a confluence of eccentricity and aristocracy. Such was the Rothschild Surrealist Ball of 1972. 


Embellished with pink and blue tablecloths, as well as the lips of Dalí’s Mae West Lips sofa embroidered on napkins, the arrangement also featured plates made of mink. 


Passed by word of mouth in hushed tones, drawing attention to its mystique, and shrouded by history, the Rothschild Surrealist Ball was the culmination of weird and wonderful. A hundred years had passed since Breton’s trailblazing manifesto, and Surrealism is in its golden age: marked by multitudes of exhibitions, a flurry of press and the hysterical popularity of Surrealist works. The movement had metamorphosed and evolved from Breton et al.’s brainchild: weaving together elements of Freudian philosophy, Automatism and Dadaism. All these capstone progressions preceded the Rothschilds’ exclusive annual ball invitation to 150 close friends: with instructions to arrive on December 12th in ‘black tie, long dresses and Surrealist heads.’ Of course, the invitation could only be read with the use of a mirror.


An invitation to the Rothschilds’ Surrealist Ball, 1972 (Image from https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rothschild-surrealist-ball-2602119)
An invitation to the Rothschilds’ Surrealist Ball, 1972 (Image from https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rothschild-surrealist-ball-2602119)

The Château itself was enough of a monument to leave you speechless. A Neo-Renaissance structure designed by Joseph Paxton and James de Rothschild, the Château de Ferrières was arguably the most luxurious and largest Châteaus in 19th century France, and had undergone multiple refurbishments under the Baroness. And if 80 bedrooms, 30 km2 of forests, a 120 foot central hall and a library housing more than 8,000 volumes wasn’t enough, Ferrières was furthermore a powerful symbol of the hedonism of 19th century Europe, a landmark where the rich and powerful converged. From Hollywood superstars to long-standing nobility, the Surrealist Ball represented much more than a rich person’s party, cementing itself in history as one of the most mystical, otherworldly evenings shared by celebutantes – possibly an event that comes the closest to being a genuine work of art. 


Costumes of host Baron Guy de Rothschild (1909-2007) and hostess Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild (1927-1996) (Image from https://www.kidsofdada.com/blogs/magazine/9840568-the-surrealist-ball-of-72)
Costumes of host Baron Guy de Rothschild (1909-2007) and hostess Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild (1927-1996) (Image from https://www.kidsofdada.com/blogs/magazine/9840568-the-surrealist-ball-of-72)

The Baron was a prominent French banker of the Rothschild family, hosting an annual ball every year with his wife, the Baroness. He wore a fur hat carrying an extravagant sculpture of bird feathers. Many have speculated this as a warning to the paparazzi that hunting hounds had been set loose on the grounds. Marie-Hélène herself was a well known French socialite and doyenne of the Parisiennes du monde, becoming the first non-Jewish spouse of the Rothschild family. This forced husband Guy to forgo his leading position in the Jewish community in France. The pairs’ extravagant soireés exhibit a similar liberalism: here Marie-Hélène is seen wearing a giant stag’s head studded with tears of real diamonds. 


Costumes of Brigitte Bardot and Leonor Fini (Image from https://thetimelessjournal.com/inside-the-surrealist-rothschild-ball/)
Costumes of Brigitte Bardot and Leonor Fini (Image from https://thetimelessjournal.com/inside-the-surrealist-rothschild-ball/)

Bardot was a prominent French actress, while Fini was a well known Argentine painter and designer.


Heavily influenced by Magrittean metonymies such as the iconic bowler hat and apple, this outfit was also a nod to Magritte’s The Son of Man. The French actress was only one of many who donned Magritte’s iconic paintings at the Ball.


Costume of renowned Perfumer Helene Rochas (Image from https://www.kidsofdada.com/blogs/magazine/9840568-the-surrealist-ball-of-72)
Costume of renowned Perfumer Helene Rochas (Image from https://www.kidsofdada.com/blogs/magazine/9840568-the-surrealist-ball-of-72)

Rochas is seen here wearing a gramophone headdress, designed by none other than Yves Saint Laurent.


The iconic film and fashion icon did not fail to impress, wearing a literal birdcage on her head filled with birds and black ribbons. This was designed by Salvador Dalí.


Rather than fitting the theme of masquerading, the famous Surrealist did little to dress himself up, reportedly saying ‘I don’t need a mask. My face is my mask.’


Under the artistic direction of Dalí, the Surrealist Ball cemented its identity as one of the most iconic events to grace the 20th century, a palatable fusion of high society and avant-garde European art, representing the Rothschilds’ patronage of the arts and their pioneering idea to exemplify Ashkenazi-Jewish wealth. Often mentioned in line with Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball of 1966, the Ball continues to leave its footprint in modern fashion, inspiring contemporary designers such as Loewe and Schiaparelli. Its mystique has furthermore elicited conspiracy theories, with narrative claiming the provocative imagery was a result of the gathering of the Illuminati, or even a full-fledged display of hidden power structures. While not commonly attributed as a sign of occultism, the Rothschild Surrealist Ball continues to provoke bizarre thought, defying the norms of aristocratic opulence and redefining the boundaries of art and fashion. 


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