Dancer: red skirt
- Original dimensions
- 32.9 x 41.3 cm
- Museum
- Harvard Art Museums
- Year
- 1886
Scene depicted
The painting "Dancer: red skirt" features a ballerina, in full motion, dressed in a bright red skirt that dances under the spotlight. Degas, true to his style, plays with perspectives and angles to depict the energy of the artistic performance. The scene is bathed in an atmosphere vibrating with warm colors, while silences blend with the clattering of dance shoes.
Historical context
Created in 1886, this painting is part of the Impressionist movement, at a time when artists sought to capture the movement and light of everyday scenes. Located in the Harvard Art Museums , this canvas evokes the Parisian ballets, once in full swing, offering a valuable glimpse into French culture at the end of the 19th century.
Place in the artist's career
This painting is situated at a turning point in Degas's career, where he perfected his style and technique. At this time, he created other iconic paintings such as "The Dance Class" and "The Green Dancer," where one perceives an evolution towards a bolder representation of movement, while maintaining his fascination with ballerinas.
Anecdote
Degas stated: "Dance is a waking dream, a vibration of the soul." Inspired by the grace of the ballerinas he observed backstage, he captured a fleeting moment of beauty and elegance. It is this ephemeral moment, occurring one morning in the heart of Paris, that breathed life into this pictorial work .