Edgar Degas

Estate of the artist (sale: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 2ème Vente Atelier Edgar Degas, 11th-13th December 1919, lot 91)
Pellet Collection, Paris
Galerie Thannhauser, Lucerne
Probably, Emil Georg Bührle, Zurich
Christen Collection, Switzerland
Bentley Brothers Collection, Liechtenstein
Mr & Mrs Lester F. Avnet, New York
Christian Gayt Art, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner in November 1995

Probably, Munich, Galerie Thannhauser, Edgar Degas: Pastelle / Zeichnungen, Das Plastische Werk, 1926, no. 18
New York, The Gallery of Modern Art, Drawing, Watercolor, Pastels from the Collection of Avnet

Paul-André Lemoisne, Degas et son œuvre, Paris, 1946, vol. III, no. 982, illustrated p. 571

Executed on buff-coloured laid paper, joined and laid down on artist's board by the artist. Overall there is slight paper discolouration, mostly at the edges. Apart from a few very minor losses at the corners of the sheet and a few very small scattered pale stains (possibly from the artist's studio) the work is in very good condition. Colours: More vibrant and lively than they appear in the printed catalogue. In particular the greens, pinks and reddish brown are richer.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work is a wonderful example of Degas' most iconic theme: the off-duty dancer, portrayed here in the poetic intimacy of a private moment. The artist cared little for depicting the more obvious splendour of a pirouette but rather for the dancer stretching, yawning or adjusting her clothing, as evident in Danseuse s'habillant. Degas was not only fascinated by a dancer's beauty, body or movement but also their social context: the struggle, the hard work as well as general pressures of modern urban life. As Robert de la Sizeranne remarked, his models are 'very particular products of contemporary civilisation, of its luxury, of its power, of its poverty and above all its physiological collapse. No longer the dancer, Muse or Grace of the classical artist [...] his is the dancer by will, by ambition, by penury – and by her need for repose. Above all, his is the dancer by training' (quoted in Robert Gordon & Andrew Forge, Degas, London, 1988, p. 159).

Perspective was a central artistic preoccupation throughout the artist's career. The elevated viewpoint of the present work, as well as the fact that the dancer has her back to us, contribute to the feeling of the viewer having intruded on a private moment, joining the artist in his position of voyeur. The dancer is unaware of anyone watching, caught in her own act, wonderfully unaffected in a private moment of peace. Behind her on the floor we see the tulle of her skirt, and in front of her the beautiful blues, pink and yellows of spinning tutus on stage: a reminder that this dancer's private moment is a fleeting one.