Study of a Ballet Dancer seen from the Back
1875 (?)
Medium
Black chalk on faded pink wove paper
Dimensions
12 1/8 x 8 9/16 in. (30.8 x 21.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.608
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-1870s, Edgar Degas captured the graceful form of a ballet dancer in this intimate study, *Study of a Ballet Dancer from the Back*. Rendered in black chalk on faded pinkove paper, the drawing measures a modest 12 1/8 x 8 9/16 inches, highlighting Degas's mastery of preparatory sketches. As a key figure in Impressionism—though he rejected the label—Degas frequented Paris's Opéra ballet studios, sketching dancers in unguarded moments to explore movement and the female form with unflinching realism. The rear view emphasizes the dancer's poised musculature and costume details, a techniq...
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 ...