Study and Sculpture
Dancer Looking at the Sole of her Right Foot, 1919-20
Bronze cast
Edgar Degas
In his sculptures of dancers, Edgar Degas sought to capture the body in motion or in strenuous ballet postures. His models were often young and impoverished ballerinas at the Paris Opéra. A regular model of his, known only as Pauline, described the strain of this pose, which she held repeatedly over many sessions.
Lady with a Parasol, 1870-72,
Edgar Degas
In this study of a fashionable woman holding a parasol, Edgar Degas's chief concern seems to be the effect of light on the human figure. Some areas are loosely painted, with the initial charcoal outline still visible. Others, such as the woman's profile and the details of her hat, are treated with great delicacy. An old label on the back of the painting calls it At the Race-course, which may explain the woman’s elegant appearance. Degas left this work unfinished but kept it in the studio until is death.
[Courtauld Gallery]
Inside the Courtauld Gallery
Study and Sculpture
Dancer Looking at the Sole of her Right Foot, 1919-20
Bronze cast
Edgar Degas
In his sculptures of dancers, Edgar Degas sought to capture the body in motion or in strenuous ballet postures. His models were often young and impoverished ballerinas at the Paris Opéra. A regular model of his, known only as Pauline, described the strain of this pose, which she held repeatedly over many sessions.
Lady with a Parasol, 1870-72,
Edgar Degas
In this study of a fashionable woman holding a parasol, Edgar Degas's chief concern seems to be the effect of light on the human figure. Some areas are loosely painted, with the initial charcoal outline still visible. Others, such as the woman's profile and the details of her hat, are treated with great delicacy. An old label on the back of the painting calls it At the Race-course, which may explain the woman’s elegant appearance. Degas left this work unfinished but kept it in the studio until is death.
[Courtauld Gallery]
Inside the Courtauld Gallery