Around 1870, Edgar Degas (1834–1917) discovered the world of dance and became a frequent guest at the Paris Opera.
The ballet became a central theme in his art, which he explored in all media: painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture, as well as equestrianism and women at the toilet. He was fascinated both by the movement of the dance and by the hard, tireless work that he witnessed behind the scenes and during the rehearsals.
In the mid-1870s, Degas began to make small wax or clay figures of dancers in various poses. The artist modelled this figure in wax as a study of nudes and movement. He chose a classical ballet pose, showing the figure in a stepping position with her hands on her hips. In his sculptural work, Degas moved away from academic ideals and, like Rodin, created figures with restless surface textures.
As his blindness progressed, Degas devoted himself more and more to sculpture in the last years of his life. However, it was not until after his death that the wax figures were discovered and cast in bronze posthumously.
- Material & Technik
- Bronze
- Museum
- Von der Heydt Museum
- Datierung
- um 1882–95
- Inventarnummer
- P 0265