Renowned beauty Eugenia Errázuriz was a prominent supporter of the ballet during Europe’s Belle Epoque period. Following an introduction by Jean Cocteau to Pablo Picasso, Errázuriz became a muse to the legendary Spanish artist. In all likelihood, Picasso was drawn to Errázuriz for her exotic background, having been born in Chile to Bolivian parents and raised in Europe. Their closeness was solidified in October of 1916 at the Soirée Babel hosted by Count Etienne de Beaumont. The Count was known for inviting people from the art world to his famed gatherings. Indeed, it was Errázuriz who ended up introducing the young Spanish artist to Serge Diaghilev, the celebrated Russian art patron and founder of the Ballets Russes, whom she convinced to hire Picasso as the set designer for the ballet. In keeping with her love for dance, in the current lot Madame Errázuriz is seen dancing with Count Etienne de Beaumont at a masked ball hosted by the Count and Countess de Noailles. Man Ray, himself a fixture in the avant garde Surrealist scene in Europe, most likely befriended the circle of art patrons after arriving in Paris in 1921. The current lot captures a magical moment, in which leading figures in the arts come together on either side of the lens for an image whose mysterious charm continues to linger.