“This pastel captures a dancer in a private, unposed moment backstage, offering an intimate glimpse into the world of ballet and the everyday life of its performers. Its soft, luminous quality highlights the artist's masterful use of light and color.”
In this pastel on paper, a dancer, perhaps a member of the corps de ballet, is caught in a moment of quiet reflection or anticipation backstage. Her pose is informal and unidealized, a hallmark of the Impressionist movement that sought to capture everyday life. The soft, luminous quality of the pastel medium allows for a delicate rendering of light and shadow, particularly visible in the dancer's costume and the hazy background. The artist’s choice to depict a performer off-stage, rather than in the spotlight, offers an intimate glimpse into the demanding world of ballet, a subject he explored repeatedly. This work from 1874 shows a fascination with the modern Parisian life and its fleeting moments, presenting a candid, unposed figure that feels remarkably contemporary.
- Artist
- Edgar Degas
- Date
- 1874
- Medium
- Pastel on paper
- Location
- Hermitage Museum
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
Observe the loose, feathery strokes of pastel in her skirt.
Notice the slight slump in her shoulders, suggesting fatigue or contemplation.
Look at the way the light catches the top of her head and shoulders.
See the indistinct background, blurring the line between stage and backstage.
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Edgar Degas
1834–1917 · FranceCaptured ballet dancers and modern Parisian life in pastels with an eye as precise as a photographer's lens.
Further Works by Degas
Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys
1860 · Art Institute of Chicago
A Woman Seated beside a Vase of Flowers (Madame Paul Valpinçon?)
1865 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Rehearsal Onstage
1871 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Dance Class
1873 · National Gallery of Art
Henri Degas and His Niece Lucie Degas (The Artist's Uncle and Cousin)
1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Yellow Dancers (In the Wings)
1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Portrait after a Costume Ball (Portrait of Madame Dietz-Monnin)
1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Café Singer
1879 · Art Institute of Chicago
More from Impressionism
More works to explore
Beyond Degas and Impressionism: works from the same years.
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Cart with Red and White Ox
Vincent van Gogh · 1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Chariot Race
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1876 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Backgammon Players
Philip Webb · 1861 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
An Alpine Scene
Gustave Courbet · 1874 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Boating
Édouard Manet · 1874 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
After the Bullfight
Mary Cassatt · 1873 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Fishermen (Fantastic Scene)
Paul Cézanne · 1875 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Seine at Pont de Grenelle
Paul Gauguin · 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Watering Place at Marly
Alfred Sisley · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Woman with a Parasol in a Garden
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1875 · Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum