Edgar degas ballerina art project
Edgar degas ballerina paintings.
Painting the rhythm of the Paris Opera dancers
Why did Edgar Degas paint ballet dancers?
Degas tried to capture movement in his painting. Throughout his long artistic career he never tired of the ballet dancer as subject and challenge.
Edgar degas ballerina art project
His backstage access to the dance rehearsal rooms at the Paris Opera gave him the opportunity to closely observe and sketch the stylised poses of the ballerinas as they went through their paces. The opera was an open studio for Degas where he could scrutinise the rhythm of the dancers in motion as often as he liked.
He could not avoid the sordid side of the Paris Opera as wealthy male patrons and donors prowled backstage eying the young dancers.
These anonymous top-hatted gents appear in some of Degas’ paintings, loitering behind the sets. They gave money to the place so they felt they could help themselves to whatever was there. The opera benefactors might then consult a parent or guardian to see if they could come to an arrangement to advance the