Dancer Holding her Right Foot in Her Right Hand

Art Historical Context

Edgar Degas, the renowned French Impressionist painter and sculptor, captured the grace and discipline of ballet dancers in much of his work, often portraying them in candid, off-stage moments. *Dancer Holding Her Right Foot in Her Right*, modeled before 1910, this fascination. The bronze sculpture depicts a lithe female figure in a poised stretch, one foot lifted behind her in a classic ballet arabesque, her body twisted dynamically to convey both vulnerability and strength. Rendered at nearly 20 inches tall, it freezes an intimate rehearsal pose, highlighting Degas's mastery in suggesting movement and anatomy. Cast posthumously in 1920 by the foundry A.-A. Hébrard et Cie, this piece translates Degas's original wax models—known for their delicate, textured surfaces—into durable bronze. These late bronzes, produced from Degas's studio molds after his death in 1917, preserve his innovative sculptural experiments, blending realism with impressionistic immediacy. Degas's dancers were not idealized performers but real women, often nude or in practice wear, reflecting 19th-century Parisian ballet culture amid the city's thriving Opéra. Acquired through the H.O. Havemeyer Collection and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department, this work underscores Degas's enduring influence on modern sculpture. It invites visitors to appreciate the dancer's quiet poise, a testament to the artist's lifelong obsession with ephemeral motion.

About the Artist

Edgar Degas|A.-A. Hébrard et Cie · 1834–1917

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...