The Rehearsal with violinist by Degas

Highlighting the intimate complicity between music and dance, this remarkable work by Degas Edgar stands under the title of “The Rehearsal with violinist” in his career. This Impressionist painting plunges us behind the scenes of dress rehearsals, revealing the hard routine hidden behind official performances. The painter captures the present moment here with sincere and artless realism, showing his fascination for the truth of movement and expressions.

The composition offers a tight and bold framing on the protagonists of the lesson. In the foreground on the left, a bearded and greying violinist wearing a black jacket is represented at half-length, applying himself to play his brown wooden instrument. To his right, three young ballerinas in white tutus actively practice on an ocher wooden floor with oblique slats. The left dancer extends her open arms, the central one stands in profile with a blue ribbon in her hair, while on the right, a ballerina raises her right leg upwards, a yellow scarf tied around her neck. They are practicing their graceful gestures under the soft light of the studio.

This canvas highlights the dazzling craftsmanship of the artist and his rapid touch technique. The writer of movement uses fluid brushstrokes to render the lightness of muslin fabrics and the materiality of the skin. His mastery of photographic framing and hushed lighting consecrates the strength of his artistic genius.