Dancers Edgar Degas Tissue Paper

Dancers by Edgar Degas, pastel and charcoal on tracing paper mounted on wove paper 1894-1904, is a drawing of the half-length figures of ballet dancers in brilliantly coloured costumes against a lushly coloured, lively textured background. A young female ballerina fills the foreground, in a dance pose with one arm locked behind her back and her hand on her head, and behind her are glimpsed two other ballerinas in counterpointed poses. Degas builds elaborate layers, strokes and hatchings of brilliant colour atop an expressive charcoal drawing, with layers of textures building to red and blue accents of brilliant colour. In this late work, the artist boldly experiments with colour and delves deeply into the Impressionist sensibility of light and colour while capturing the classical, sculptural solidity of the subjects and their expressive dance movements.