Study of a Ballet Dancer (recto); Two Studies of Dancers (verso)
ca. 1873
Medium
Oil with opaque watercolor on prepared pink paper (recto); oil on prepared pink paper (verso)
Dimensions
17 1/2 x 12 3/8 in. (44.5 x 31.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.611
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edgar Degas, a master of capturing the grace and toil of modern life, was captivated by the world of ballet throughout his career. Created around 1873, *Study of a Ballet Dancer (recto); Two Studies of Dancers (vers)* showcases his fascination with dancers in motion. On the front, a single ballerina poised in arabesque glows against prepared pink paper, while the features two quick sketches of figures in rehearsal attire. These intimate studies reflect Degas' era, when Paris's Opéra ballet embodied both artistic elegance and the grueling labor of working-class women. Degas innovated with mixe...
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 ...