Three Studies of a Dancer in Fourth Position

Three figures of a dancer, captured from different angles, dominate this sheet. Each is drawn in a classic fourth position, a fundamental ballet pose. This drawing was a preparatory study for a sculpture, and you can almost feel the artist working out the three-dimensional form on this two-dimensional surface. He explored the model, Marie van Goethem, from her left profile, then her right, and finally facing the viewer. The charcoal and pastel give the figures a soft, almost ethereal quality, while the stumping technique creates subtle gradations and shadows, suggesting the roundness of her form. This detailed observation allowed him to understand the figure in the round before tackling the challenges of sculpture.