Dancer Looking at the Sole of Her Right Foot (First State)
Original title: Dancer Looking at the Sole of Her Right Foot (First State)
kurzbeschreibung
A dancer looks down at the sole of her right foot, left leg lifted and right arm extended. Edgar Degas modeled this bronze probably between 1895 and 1910; it was cast in 1920. The figure belongs to the artist's late sculptures, in which he endlessly varied the theme of dance.
Description
Left leg raised, right arm outstretched—the pose feels arrested mid-turn. The head is lowered, eyes closed. A green-brown patina covers the bronze, a result of the alloy containing iron. A square base supports the figure; the light falls evenly, leaving no shadows.
Context
In his later years Degas devoted himself almost exclusively to ballet. The wax models after which this bronze was cast in 1920—three years after his death in 1917—were made during that period. Several dancers in different poses belong to this group. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the work and makes it available as a public-domain piece (CC0).
Impact
A concentrated, almost private moment is captured here: the lowered lids and downward-tilted posture radiate calm, while the pose itself is full of tension. Muscles are observed precisely, yet the movement remains relaxed. The dark patina gives the figure something grounded, timeless.
Technique
Cast in bronze and covered with a green-brown patina that formed through oxidation of the bronze-iron alloy. The musculature is worked out in detail, the modeling fine and precise—a hallmark of Degas's sculptural method. Mounted on a square base, the work gains a firm footing.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)