The Locker Room Ballerinas by Degas

Immersing the viewer in the secret atmosphere of the Paris Opera backstage, this remarkable pastel by Degas Edgar stands under the title of “The Locker Room Ballerinas” within the Impressionist movement. The artist abandons the public stage to explore the locker rooms, capturing an intimate moment of preparation. This work illustrates his constant interest in the daily life of dancers, captured in the cozy shadow of the spotlights.

In the center of the composition, a ballerina standing in a cobalt blue and white tutu readjusts her hair adorned with flowers, her face lowered in a pensive expression. She wears a blue necklace and a corset with refined golden embroidery. To her right, a bearded patron in a black suit, bald, sits in profile, leaning with his strong right hand on a black wooden cane. To her left, a dressmaker dressed in black leans over the tutu to make adjustments. The closed room features a light and luminous background decorated with a very large black curtain on the left.

The technical craftsmanship of Edgar Degas is fully expressed in the mastery of pastel on paper. The artist uses rapid and vibrant touches to translate the lightness of the tulle and the softness of the fabrics. The accuracy of the attitudes and the finesse of the psychological observation bear witness to a great empathy for his models.