Fan Mount: The Ballet
1879
Medium
Watercolor and metallic paint on silk
Dimensions
6 1/8 x 21 1/4 in. (15.6 x 54 cm)
Classification
Drawings
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
29.100.554
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of Edgar Degas *Fan Mount: The Ballet (1879), a watercolor and metallic paint on silk that captures the grace of ballet dancers mid-performance. Degas, a master of the Impressionist movement was captivated by the ballet's backstage drama and fleeting movements, often depicting dancers in intimate, candid moments. This fan mount, measuring just 6 1/8 x 21 1/4 inches, evokes the opulent social scene of late 19th-century Paris where such decorative objects were fashionable accessories for theatergoers. The artwork's silk medium, enhanced by shimmering metallic pain...
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 ...