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1870 (ca.), Edgar Degas, The Dancing Class -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)

From the museum label: Included in the first Impressionist exhibition, in 1874, this painting is Degas's first depiction of a dance class. Because the artist did not yet have privileges to go backstage at the Paris Opéra, his subjects came to his studio to pose. These sessions yielded many drawings, which Degas subsequently adapted for finished compositions. Interested in portraying scenes of contemporary life, Degas, in contrast to many of his Impressionist colleagues, preferred to focus on people within interior spaces, including his popular ballerinas, who are often shown practicing or at moments of rest.

Link to other paintings from the exhibition “Manet/Degas".

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Uploaded on October 1, 2023
Taken on October 1, 2023