Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando by Degas

Capturing the audacity and virtuosity of the performing arts at the end of the century, Degas Edgar designs in “Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando” an absolute masterpiece linked to the impressionist current. This revolutionary canvas features a famous acrobat suspended under the vaults of a large Parisian hall, illustrating the painter’s constant research for unique angles and vertiginous perspectives that characterize his modern genius.

In a spectacular low-angle shot, a Black acrobat is suspended on the left of the composition, soaring toward the top of the dome. She is held by a vertical rope that she grips firmly between her teeth, her body tense with effort. Her right arm extends gracefully upward and to the right, while her left arm points downward. She wears a white stage costume enhanced with gold fringe and yellow acrobat boots. The architecture of the circus, painted in shades of warm orange and green, draws a majestic structure of geometric vaults and iron beams, highlighting the incredible height of her breathtaking performance.

The exceptional expertise of the painter triumphs in this bold composition where the rigorous drawing guides the eye along the perspective lines. The subtle use of oil makes it possible to render the transparency of the filtering light and the vaporous texture of the stage costume, immortalizing the moment with a masterful technical force.