Degas dancers

Degas was nicknamed the “painter of dancers”. From 1860 onwards, he developed a fascination with dance, which was originally discovered at the Paris Opera, where he spent much time backstage. As a result of his interest, his paintings portrayed the dancers in private behind-the-scenes moments, as well as during their performances on stage. Take a look back over the love story between the artist and his tutu-clad muses.

Artist: Edgar Degas (French, Paris 1834–1917 Paris). Date: 1877. Medium: Mixed media on canvas. Dimensions: 29 3/4 x 32 in. (75.6 x 81.3 cm). Classificati...

The heavily impastoed surface suggests that Degas worked directly and extensively on this picture, building up passages of oil paint with brushes and his fingers. By mixing his colors with white to make them opaque, and by applying his pigments thickly and in several layers, he approximated the pastel technique that he had perfected in the 1880s

Learn about the elements and vocabulary of art. Lines and shapes are essential elements of painting. How you use them in art strongly affects the composition and overall feeling of the painting.

One of the most outstanding French artists of the last half of 19th century, Edgar Degas’s sway lies in brilliantly infusing traditional academic components into contemporary themes of the 20th century. With over hundred of paintings, Degas is counted as one of the prominent figurative masters, who is credited for having influenced Pablo Picasso and Henri […]

Learn More on Smarthistory

Exhibition dates: 24th June – 18th September 2016 Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) Finishing the arabesque 1877 Oil and essence, pastel on canvas 67.4 x 38cm Musée d’Orsay,…