Dancer Putting on Her Stockings (Second State)
modeled possibly ca. 1900, cast 1920
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
17-1/4 x 6-3/4 x 11-1/2 in. (43.8 x 17.1 x 29.2 cm.)
Classification
Sculpture-Bronze
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.381
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edgar Degas, the renowned French Impressionist master of movement and modernity, captured the private world of ballet dancers in this intimate bronze sculpture, *Dancer Putting on Herings (Second State)*. Modeled around 1900 the end of his life, it depicts a ballerina in a candid moment of preparation—seated, one leg extended as she adjusts her stocking. Degas's lifelong fascination with dancers shines through, revealing their off-stage humanity amid the glamour of the Paris Opéra. Cast posthumously in 1920 by the esteemed foundry A.-A. Hébrard et Cie, this bronze exemplifies Degas's sculptur...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas|A.-A. Hébrard et Cie · 1834–1917
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...