The Dancing Class
ca. 1870
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
7 3/4 x 10 5/8 in. (19.7 x 27 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.184
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edgar Degas' *The Dancing Class* (ca. 1870), a petite oil on wood painting measuring just 7 3/4 x 10 5/8 inches, offers an intimate glimpse into the world Parisian ballet rehearsals. Created during the artist's early fascination with dancers at the Paris Opéra, this work captures a moment of preparation rather than performance, featuring young women in tutus, musicians with violins and piano, and reflective mirrors that expand the scene's spatial depth. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the H. O. Havemeyer Collection, it exemplifies Degas' shift toward modern subjects amid th...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas · 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 ...