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Jacqueline L. Barry
Serebrennikov
ART 100 – Survey of Western Art
November 25, 2011
Dancing with Degas
Edgar Degas, a renowned painter, sculptor and printmaker, is perhaps most
well known for leading the forefront of the Impressionist artistic movement in
France. He began his work, however, as a traditional artist and clung to the confines
of conventional painting as warranted by the Salon, a French group of artists and
teachers who presided over public exhibitions. He first received a classical
education at the lycee Louis-le-Grand, a reputable school for the elite, and then
enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts where he formally studied art under JeanAuguste-Dominique Ingres, an already distinguished artist who, along with his rival,
Delacroix, wielded powerful influences on him.1 He soon came to reject the familiar
in favor of exploring a more modern approach, however, and he wasn’t the only one
who felt this way; Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Alfred
Sisley also shared his resentment towards the current artistic establishment and
became part of a new group that came to be called the “Société Anonyme des
1
“ Edgar Degas Biography.” Mezzo Mondo Fine Art. http://www.mezzo-
mondo.com/arts/mm/degas/degas.html (Nov. 9, 2011)
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Artistes,” which presided over public exhibitions outside of the Salon’s control. 2
There, Degas’ work underwent a massive transformation – from meticulously
copied, symmetric, and balanced renderings of paintings done by Michelangelo and
Raphael, to paintings characterized by their radically different perspectives and
modern subjects. Indeed, known by many as “the artist of dancers,” Degas did spend
the majority of his time painting ballet dancers, as well as laundresses, milliners,
and nude women. His modern paintings seem to signify the expansion of the
bourgeoisie class, rather than highlight the lifestyles of the affluent or serve as
commission pieces for wealthy families, as they originally did. They also serve as
studies of movement and naturalism, which became Degas’ primary artistic
orientations as he progressed.
The themes of Degas’ works were largely influenced by international art,
namely English paintings, as well as Japanese prints that became available as
commerce continued to become more accessible. The English narrative style and
portrayal of emotional conflicts – especially those of women – greatly appealed to
Degas. Japanese wood engravings also had a significant impact on transforming his
methods of painting. Degas’ became more innovative and daring in his use of
2
" Edgar Degas." Biography.com. http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-degas-
9269770 (Nov. 8, 2011).
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asymmetry, partially hidden figures, and elevated viewpoints. 3
Degas also preferred to paint indoors with artificial light, rather than
focusing on natural light, unlike the rest of his impressionist colleagues. He was
attracted by human scenes, rather than natural landscapes, which included a range
of theatrical performances, racecourses, circuses and cafes. Degas was an acute
observer of the happenings of daily life around Paris, and chose to paint his scenes
and figures while in action, as if we, the viewers, were also watching them with him.
Degas had a budding interest in photography that probably influenced this practice.
Perhaps one of his most appreciated paintings, Degas painted The Four
Dancers (The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.), in Paris in 1899. It serves as
an immaculate example of Degas’ primary artistic goal, which involved capturing the
beauty, freedom, dexterity, and movement of female dancers, mainly from the Paris
Opera House. Similar free-flowing gestures may be seen in many of his other works.
In The Four Dancers, four ballerinas are depicted wearing identical tutus, all looking
nearly exactly the same, as ballerinas often appear on stage. Their hair is an auburn,
red color, coiled into a soft bun held by a light pink ribbon, while the dresses
themselves are a dark pink color – indeed, many of the colors appearing in the
3
“ Edgar Degas Biography.” Mezzo Mondo Fine Art. http://www.mezzo-
mondo.com/arts/mm/degas/degas.html (Nov. 9, 2011)
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painting seem subdued to the viewer. In the center left quadrant, where the
ballerinas are painted, the dancers evoke warm tones that are imitated in a diagonal
in the top right corner, where a warm sunset appears. Across the painting in a
separate diagonal, cool tones are used to contrast with this warmth. Perhaps
shrubbery – or a stage curtain – divides the dancers between the foreground and the
background that depicts a rolling hillside. Greens and blues are painted into this
‘curtain’, and violets, rather than blended traditionally and evenly, are scattered in
short, quick brushstrokes, giving a sense of depth to the curtain where otherwise it
might appear flat. When viewed from afar or if squinting, the dark violets provide a
shadow to the curtain in an unconventional way. Thus, the impression of the
painting is seen.
Light is also portrayed on the bottom portion of the ballerinas’ tutus through
the use of bright yellows as well as saturated golds and greys. And yet, perhaps the
greatest sense of light is given in the dancers’ skin, which is pale white. The
portrayals of light and shadow are definitely most apparent on the upper torsos and
limbs of the ballerinas, which highlight the most significant portion of the painting
to Degas. Indeed, his focus on painting dancers is imitated in an overwhelming
majority of his work.
Another distinguishing characteristic of this painting is that the upper torsos
of the dancers are dramatically outlined in a dark brown color, allowing them to
stand out in the painting even more where otherwise they may have blended in. The
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artist evidently wanted the dancers to be the focus of his work, especially their
flowing limbs and movements. Their faces and individual expressions, however, are
not as clear nor outlined in this fashion. As mirrored in an actual stage production,
the expressions of the dancers are not of importance to the audience. The dancers
express themselves both individually and as a group through the use of movement.
Emotions, rather than being conveyed conventionally by observing one’s face, are
suggested by the position and direction of their bodies. Body language is of extreme
importance in dance, and therefore, to Degas.
Still, although the dancers exhibit identical outfits, hairstyles, colors, and
facial characteristics, what sets them each apart from one another is their individual
movement. No two dancers display the same position, although their proximity to
each other suggests that they are still a cohesive unit in the painting, and are meant
to be viewed as a group. It appears that Degas wanted to highlight their specific,
flowing movements, as indicated by the striking outlines of their arms.
While they are one stage team, he reminds us, they are still unique, individual
ballerinas with their own roles. As one of them appears to pull the curtain back, the
other three cross their arms in different positions that allow their elbows to point to
the original dancer. Although she is not fully pictured, she is still important. At the
same time, this dancer appears to point to the hillside in the distance, which gives
the painting a feeling of wholeness, as if to reinforce that every aspect of the work is
significant and worth carefully observing.
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The four ballerinas undoubtedly act as the focal point in this painting, with
arms outstretched, twisted, and almost pointing to the hillside in the distance. Thus,
the painting is not viewed horizontally, nor vertically, but diagonally, giving a sense
of movement and grace to the painting that easily complements that of the dancers.
That one of the ballerinas is not fully shown in the painting, but rather cut off, is also
distinctive. Prior to Degas and Impressionism as a whole, subjects were often
depicted in the center of the foreground, sharing an equal amount of space with
each other and posing in conventional ways. Degas, however, chose to modernize
his work and emphasize the value of freedom of movement with his subjects. The
vantage point that he used in The Four Dancers – and uncommon perspectives in
general – highlight the uniqueness of Degas’ style and his inclination to explore
modern techniques when illustrating his subjects.
Ultimately, Degas was a master at expressing movement and portraying light
through color in a modern way, and he continues to hold that title over a century
later. Controversial at the time yet widely admired today, Degas paintings are
innovative symbols of movement, naturalism, and life that does not sit still to have a
portrait made. Rather, they are examples of fast-paced living that are spontaneous
clips of action, rendered both beautifully and skillfully. In The Four Dancers, Edgar
Degas allows us a brief glimpse into a glamorous world where even the dancers, the
subjects of the paintings, are fleeting images that are themselves floating away
beyond the frame of the painting and back into the four-dimensional world from
which they came. As evidenced from this work and each of his others, whether a
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painting, drawing, sketch, sculpture, print or photograph, Edgar Degas is truly a
master of his craft.
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Works Cited
Schenkel, Ruth. "Edgar Degas (1834–1917): Painting and Drawing". In Heilbrunn
Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dgsp/hd_dgsp.htm (Nov. 9, 2011)
" Edgar Degas." Biography.com. http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-degas9269770 (Nov. 8, 2011).
“ Edgar Degas Biography.” Mezzo Mondo Fine Art. http://www.mezzomondo.com/arts/mm/degas/degas.html (Nov. 9, 2011)
“Edgar Degas: French Painter and Sculptor.” Renoir Fine Art.
http://www.renoirinc.com/biography/artists/degas.htm (Nov. 20, 2011)