Degas was fascinated by the world of ballet; hence, it figured prominently in many of his paintings. Here, the group of dancers is depicted in mid-performance, as viewed from an upper side box. Only one of the girls in green is shown full-length, captured as she executes a swift, complicated turn. The other figures are cropped, leaving the viewer to imagine the rest. In the background, a number of ballerinas dressed in orange stand against the landscape scenery, awaiting their turn. Degas' use of a cropped, off-centred pictorial space was influenced by photography and by Japanese prints. He felt that the unfinished, transitory nature of reality could only be conveyed using a fragmented technique. Here, the fleeting nature of the movements is captured with rapid pastel strokes, applied with immense skill. Title Swaying Dancer (Dancer in Green) Creator Edgar Degas Creator Death Place Paris, France Creator Birth Place Paris, France Date Created 1877 - 1879 Location Madrid, Spain Style 19th Century European Painting Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Physical Dimensions 64 x 36 cm Type Painting Medium Pastel and gouache on paper
