Dancers at the Old Opera House
c. 1877
Edgar Degas was obsessed with ballet dancers, but he rarely painted them performing. Instead, he loved capturing candid moments in the wings, like this row of ballerinas in fluffy white tutus waiting their turn. The perspective is tilted and high, placing the viewer right on the edge of the stage looking out at the dimly lit opera boxes. This chalky, atmospheric scene depicts the old Paris Opera on Rue Le Peletier. Degas often used pastels to create these hazy, intimate glimpses into the exhausting reality of a dancer's life, far from the glamour of the stage.
- Technique
- Pastel
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