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Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, 'Ballet Dancers', 1888

About the work

Overview

Degas enjoyed capturing moments behind the scenes. Here, four ballet dancers are relaxing in the wings. Dressed in vibrant tutus, they are placed along a diagonal line within an asymmetrical composition cropped at the lower right, reflecting the influence of Japanese prints. The first young woman squats down, maybe to tend to a sore muscle or adjust a ribbon, while the dancer behind her, visibly exhausted, rests her head in one hand. A third dancer holds a brightly coloured fan, and a fourth leans against a wall. The long, dark hair of a fifth performer is just visible in the background.

Ballet Dancers employs the pastel technique favoured by Degas from the 1880s to create the effect of vivid colours. The scene seems to be a snapshot drawn in situ but in reality would have been created in the artist’s studio, using a number of earlier preparatory studies of individual dancers.

Key facts

Details

Full title
Ballet Dancers
Artist dates
1834 - 1917
Date made
1888
Medium and support
Pastel on paper on board
Dimensions
62.6 × 70.8 cm
Inscription summary
Signed
Acquisition credit
Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax (under a hybrid arrangement) from the estate of Mrs Ann Marks and allocated to the National Gallery, bought with the support of the National Gallery Trust, 2025
Inventory number
NG6705
Location
Room 42
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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