Edgar Degas Ballet Rehearsal

Formal Analysis of Edgar Degas' Ballet Rehearsal (circa 1874) Energy in movement and quiet placidity seen from the eyes of a fly on the wall. Edgar Degas' Ballet Rehearsal, 1874 oil on canvas is twenty three inches by thirty three inches (Honour et al. 2005). The painting utilizes a sophisticated pallet and whimsical impressionist painting style to enchant its viewer. One of a series examining dancers, the painting of ballet students in rehearsal conveys Degas' knowledge and fascination with the human form as well as his mastery of formal elements of art. The configuration of the art work ponders a contrast between background and foreground utilizing dualities such as light and dark, energy and serenity, and clarity to obscurity. Line and space pulls the audience's attention across the entirety of the composition. The impressionistic style successfully captures a moment in time, saturated with chaotic elements caught un-posed and half seen, as they are in real life. Ballet Rehearsal's composition successfully blends line, color, light, shadow, and space in order to build an impressive example of visual art. Arranged in the background of the composition are a group of dancers performing arabesques. The dancers, "go through back breaking work-outs at the bar or squat, breathless with fatigue,
In this painting Degas gives his audience a chaotic scene in equilibrium. Movement compliments serenity and calmness compliments energy, the contrast between the disparate elements of the painting makes for an interesting work of art. Degas' understanding of the human form and of visual techniques separate him from the average artist. His ability convey movement in a static scene is un canny. Degas once said, "People call me a painter of dancers, not understanding that dance is a pretext for … rendering movement." (Levy