The Dance Class

Created in 1873, this painting captures Degas at a pivotal moment in his career as he began his deep exploration of ballet and the Paris Opéra. While associated with the Impressionists, Degas always considered himself a realist, preferring to work from memory in his studio rather than outdoors. This work belongs to his extensive series depicting dancers, which would become his signature subject throughout the 1870s and beyond—as seen in works like 'Ballet at the Paris Opéra' (1877) and 'The Star' (1879/81). Unlike the romantic portrayals of ballet common at the time, Degas revealed the grueling rehearsals and backstage reality of these young performers, many from working-class families who endured rigorous training under stern ballet masters. His access to the Opéra's rehearsal rooms allowed him to observe these private moments of instruction, stretching, and fatigue. Degas was fascinated by bodies in motion and the challenge of capturing transient poses. His compositional style often employed unusual angles and cropped figures—techniques influenced by Japanese prints and the new medium of photography—creating a sense of spontaneous observation, as if we're glimpsing an unguarded moment through a doorway.