On Stage I
1876
Medium
soft-ground etching and drypoint on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 12 × 16.2 cm (4 3/4 × 6 3/8 in.) sheet: 16 x 24.5 cm (6 5/16 x 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.3364
Art Historical Context
Step into the luminous world of Edgar Degas *On Stage I* (1876), a print that captures the grace and drama of the ballet. Degas, a master of the Impressionist movement was obsessed with the theater, particularly the Paris Opéra Ballet. This intimate etching depicts performers mid-performance, freezing a moment of poised elegance amid the spotlight's glow. Created during a pivotal year when Degas was experimenting with printmaking to explore movement and light, it reflects his innovative approach to everyday scenes infused with artistic fervor. The work employs soft-ground etching and drypoint...
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 ...