Dancer adjusting her slipper by Degas

The urgent impressionist artist and tireless observer of the Opera Degas Edgar created an extraordinarily powerful masterpiece temporarily titled “Dancer adjusting her slipper”. This flamboyant pastel focuses on the strenuous backstage world of dance, far from the spotlight and stage light, to show the body exhausted by effort. Through this modern and uncompromising depiction, the artist expresses deep empathy for the difficult lives of the young ballerinas.

A solitary ballerina is shown seated on a bench, her torso heavily bent forward in a realistic pose of profound exhaustion. Dressed in a voluminous tutu of a brilliant apricot-orange hue, she bows her head and grasps her right ankle to gently massage it or carefully adjust her satin ballet shoe. Her bright red hair is tied up and adorned with a ribbon matching her costume. The background is treated semi-abstractly with vigorous, expressive vertical hatching of yellow, grey, and violet pastel, creating an intense visual vibration. The overhead light highlights the delicate, pale curve of her neck and pale arms.

The artist’s artisanal skill shines in this revolutionary use of dry pastel, applied in thick, vibrant layers to sculpt the volumes. Degas Edgar succeeds in giving an almost three-dimensional presence to the human figure. This striking work remains an exceptional testimony to his technical mastery of pure color.