Dancer Bowing (Second State)
Original title: Dancer Bowing (Second State)
kurzbeschreibung
A dancer's nude body caught mid-motion, this small bronze was likely modeled by Edgar Degas around 1878–80 and cast in 1920. The statuette belongs to a series of tiny sculptures in which the artist explored movement and physicality.
Description
A lean, muscular body with clearly defined muscles that suggest strength and motion. The head tilts back, the arms rise in a dynamic pose, and the right leg steps slightly behind. The figure stands on a flat, wavy base that recalls ground. The asymmetrical layout heightens the sense of movement; the bronze surface is even and shows no distinctive texture.
Context
The figure probably took shape around 1878–80, when Degas was deeply engaged with ballet and with capturing movement. The bronze casts, however, were made posthumously in 1920, after his death in 1917. This statuette is one of a group of wax and clay models that Degas kept in his studio and that were only cast in bronze after he died. Such small sculptures served him as studies for paintings and drawings, but were also valued as independent works.
Impact
The asymmetrical arrangement and pronounced musculature create an immediate dynamism that feels like a captured movement. The tilt of the head and the gesture of the arms give the figure an expressive grace that holds the viewer's attention. The reduction to the naked figure without accessories directs the gaze entirely to the pose and the tension it carries.
Technique
The bronze statuette was cast from a lost wax model using the lost-wax method. The surface is smooth and evenly patinated, so the details of the musculature stand out clearly. Measuring roughly 22.4 × 11.4 × 16.5 cm, it is a small-scale sculpture intended for intimate viewing.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)