← Edgar Degas

The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage

Original title: The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage

Artist

Edgar Degas

Date

ca. 1874

Medium

Oil colors freely mixed with turpentine, with traces of watercolor and pastel over pen-and-ink drawing on cream-colored wove paper, laid down on bristol board and mounted on canvas

Dimensions

21 3/8 x 28 3/4 in. (54.3 x 73 cm)

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1929

kurzbeschreibung

Edgar Degas's "Die Ballettprobe auf der Bühne" (The Ballet Rehearsal on Stage) dates from around 1874 and shows a group of dancers during a rehearsal. For this picture, the artist mixed oil colors with turpentine and added accents of watercolor and pastel over a pen-and-ink drawing on cream-colored wove paper.

Description

In the foreground, several dancers in white tutus sit or stand, following the exercises. Further back, two dancers rehearse a scene, while near the middle another dancer holds a trombone. A gentleman in a suit stands centrally, observing. The setting is completed by trees and a building cut off at the edge.

Context

During the 1870s, Degas increasingly devoted himself to ballet. He gained access to rehearsals at the Paris Opera and studied the dancers in unguarded moments. This picture reflects his interest in spontaneous movement and scenes without posing.

Impact

The alternation between focused practice and casual breaks gives the image liveliness and authenticity. Oil, watercolor, and pastel create a soft, sketch-like surface that underscores the fleeting moment.

Technique

Oil colors heavily diluted with turpentine produce a fluid, translucent effect. Over a pen-and-ink drawing on paper, traces of watercolor and pastel add layers, making the sheet feel experimental and multifaceted.

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