On the Stage
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
1876–1877
- Medium
- Pastel and essence over monotype on cream laid paper, laid down on board
- Dimensions
- 59.2 × 42.8 cm (23 5/16 × 16 7/8 in.)
- Genre
- pastel
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Tags
drawings (visual works)Chicago World's FairsCentury of Progresslaid paperprints and drawingpastelpastels (crayons)world's fairspapercrayonsmonotypepaper (fiber product)
About
Edgar Degas depicts seven dancers performing in a ballet. The gestures of the women’s raised arms and feet capture the actions, forms, and poses of the corps de ballet (the ensemble, or chorus, of a ballet company that performs in groups). To heighten the sense of motion and spectacle, Degas smudged the edges of the forms where the dancers’ dresses meet the stage.
