The artwork titled “Dancer Standing (study)” is a creation by the prominent artist Edgar Degas, dated to 1872. Degas executed this piece using the pastel medium. It is an exemplary work within the Impressionism movement and is categorized under the genre painting classification. Currently, the pastel resides in a private collection, emphasizing its exclusivity and value to private connoisseurs.
The artwork depicts a young dancer in a relaxed, standing pose. Her figure is captured with light, sketch-like strokes that are characteristic of the Impressionist style, aiming to convey movement and the fleeting nature of light. The dancer’s attire appears to be a ballet dress, a tutu, which is well-known in Degas’s oeuvre, suggesting a moment of either practice or pause from performance. Her gaze is directed off-canvas, and the use of shadow and light skillfully renders both her three-dimensionality and the ethereal essence of her form. Degas’s signature can be discerned in the lower-right corner, contributing to the authenticity and historical value of the piece. The warm tones of the background contrast with the white of the dancer’s dress, bringing her figure gently to the forefront. The soft pastel medium allows for delicate blending, giving life to the texture of the dancer’s costume and the atmosphere around her.
