Arcadópolis
Ballet at the Paris Opéra
Edgar Degas, 1877
What you see
The format is very wide, like a strip. On the left, one dancer lifts her arms over her head; on the right, a line of long-haired dancers moves forward as a group, all in pinkish-white tutus. Along the bottom edge, a row of dark heads is seen against the light, and on the right the neck of a double bass rises into view.
The backdrop, in blurred greens and blues, contrasts with the pale light of the stage. The tutus are made of light, powdery touches dotted with red flowers. Notice the scroll of the double bass climbing the right edge, and the small signature on the left, just above the heads.
About Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas is famous for his ballet dancers, whom he painted in classes, rehearsals and backstage more than a thousand times. He liked to capture movements of a single instant, as if they were photographs. Besides oil paint, he often used pastels, sticks of colour that give a soft, velvety look.
More by Edgar Degas
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