Though I don't know much about Edgar Degas (1834-1917), I've always loved his series of paintings on (ballet) dancers. Apparently, he lived during the time when ballet was one of the most popular form of stage art in Paris; there's no wonder that he has developed such an obsession on this topic.
Here's a few from the series which I find very intriguing; they represent the road to become successful performers (ballerinas in this case).
Here's a few from the series which I find very intriguing; they represent the road to become successful performers (ballerinas in this case).
They go to class and practice....
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They continue to practice after class...
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They prepare for exams...
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Then they continue to practice in the dancing room...
and sometimes, they practice on stage before a performance...
After countless practice sessions and unmeasurable endurance,
a star is born!
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Degas said, "people call me the painter of dancers, but i really want to capture movement itself." Perhaps this is the reason why Degas was more interested in painting in a practice room rather than on a stage - most natural movements happens in the practice room.
Here's a beautiful musical slideshow of more Degas' dancers.
The Metropolitan Museum has developed a series of interactive games for children to explore different artists. If you would like to learn more about Edgar Degas and his dancer paintings, please visit The Dancers and Degas.
You may visit the MEET THE GREAT ARTISTS page to find out about other artists!
