For Ballet Rehearsal, Degas' chosen a viewpoint slightly from above, to one side, with the focus on the stage bordered by the footlights. The lightness of the ballerinas dancing, contrasts with the relaxed gestures of those on the left, waiting to perform. The thin layer of paint, rendered even more transparent with time, allows the naked eye to see the painter's reworking. The legs of some of the dancers at rest have been retouched. In the middle of the young women stood a ballet teacher, his back towards the viewer. Finally, near to the seated man was another figure collapsed in a chair.This painting in shades of grey was immediately noticed at the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874. Title Ballet Rehearsal on Stage Creator Lifespan 1834 - 1917 Creator Nationality French Creator Gender Male Date Created 1874 Provenance Bequest of comte Isaac de Camondo, 1911 Physical Dimensions w810 x h650 cm Painter Edgar Degas Original Title R¨¦p¨¦tition d'un ballet sur la sc¨¨ne Credit Line ? Mus¨¦e d'Orsay, dist. RMN / Patrice Schmidt Type Oil on canvas Rights ? Mus¨¦e d'Orsay, dist. RMN / Patrice Schmidt
