Ballerina
c. 1890s
Medium
monotype printed in blue-green and yellow-green on tan wove paper
Dimensions
image: 19.8 × 19.8 cm (7 13/16 × 7 13/16 in.) sheet: 31.5 × 23.2 cm (12 3/8 × 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of James A. Bergquist, Boston, in honor of Shelley R.Langdale
Accession Number
2020.149.34
Art Historical Context
Henri Eugène Le Sidaner’s *Ballerina*, created around the 1890s, captures the graceful essence of dance through an innovative printmaking technique. This monotype—inked directly onto a plate and transferred in a single pull to tan wove paper—features subtle layers of blue-green and yellow-green, evoking a dreamy, atmospheric glow. Measuring just under 8 inches square, the intimate image reflects the French artist’s fascination with light and mood, hallmarks of his Intimist style, which emphasized quiet, personal moments over grand narratives. Le Sidaner, active during the fin-de-siècle era wh...