“Ballet Rehearsal on Stage”
Ahh. If there’s one thing that stands out in art history, it’s Degas and his ballerinas.
This oil on canvas painting from 1874 is by the French Impressionist artist, Edgar Degas, and is titled “Ballet Rehearsal on Stage.” Degas created a large collection of pieces focused on dancers. He was a master of depicting movement; a challenge for most artists that Degas embraced.
He was quite prolific and successful, and his paintings of ballerinas sold very well. This was especially helpful since his brother brought his family into bankruptcy, which the sale of Degas’s paintings helped get them out of.
Degas created three versions of this scene. This is the largest of the three. Though he is often labeled as an Impressionist, Degas preferred to be called a Realist. He did not paint en plein air and did not like the spontaneity behind the impressionist style. Degas prepared for painting this scene, making sketches of all the figures beforehand… More proof that he was not an impressionist.
“Ballet Rehearsal on Stage” is currently located at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France.
For more on Edgar Degas, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
