← Edgar Degas

Study of a Girl's Legs for the painting "Young Spartans"

Original title: Study of a Girl's Legs for the painting "Young Spartans"

Artist

Edgar Degas

Date

ca. 1860–62

Medium

Black chalk

Dimensions

Sheet: 16 3/16 x 11 1/4 in. (41.1 x 28.5cm)

Credit line

Purchase, Family of Howard J. Barnet, in his memory, 1992

kurzbeschreibung

Edgar Degas drew this study of legs around 1860–62 in black chalk. It shows the legs and pelvis of a young woman in profile. The sheet belongs to the preparatory material for his painting 'Young Spartans'.

Description

A young woman lies on her side; only her pelvis and legs are visible, the upper body is absent. Fine black hatching outlines the forms of the limbs on white paper. Nothing else is in the image: no props, no other figures, no background. The viewer's attention is drawn entirely to the legs.

Context

In the early 1860s Degas worked intensively on the human body. From this phase comes a group of preparatory drawings for the history painting 'Young Spartans', which he designed in 1860–62. The subject—an episode from education in ancient Sparta—was an unusual choice for a young painter at the time.

Impact

Because only the legs are shown, the sheet remains calm and collected. The delicate hatching gives the study a lightness, even though the anatomy is precisely captured.

Technique

The work is executed in black chalk on paper, which allows for thin lines and soft gradations. The hatching models the forms and highlights the muscles and bones of the legs.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)