The Dance Class
1874
Degas captures the unglamorous reality of ballet rehearsals in this iconic Impressionist masterpiece, showing dancers stretching, adjusting their tutus, and waiting rather than performing on stage. The composition is famously cropped, with a piano and a dancer's legs cut off on the left, giving the viewer the feeling of peeking into a private, behind-the-scenes moment. Painted in 1874, this piece was actually commissioned by the opera singer Jean-Baptiste Faure, and the strict ballet master overseeing the young ballerinas is the legendary Jules Perrot.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
- Dimensions
- 85 cm × 75 cm
Location: Musée d'Orsay, Paris
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