Dancers, Pink and Green
ca. 1890
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
32 3/8 x 29 3/4 in. (82.2 x 75.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.42
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edgar Degas's *Dancers, Pink and* (ca. 1890) captures the graceful world of ballet dancers, a lifelong obsession for the French artist. Working in late 19th-century Paris Degas frequented the Paris Opéra, sketching performers in rehearsals and backstage moments. This oil on canvas, measuring 32 3/8 x 29 3/4 inches, exemplifies his fascination with the female form in motion, rendered in soft pinks and vibrant greens that evoke tutus and stage lighting. Associated with Impressionism yet rooted in Realism, Degas innovated by cropping compositions like photographs, emphasizing asymmetry and immed...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas · 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 ...