Comments on: Edgar Degas – Ballet Rehearsal Onstage x 2!

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 19:51:56 +0000

In reply to Adrienne. Ohhh aren't you lucky Adrienne! I can't wait for you to go and visit them again with these ideas and observations!! Let us know what happens

By: Adrienne

Adrienne — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:18:52 +0000

I see these two Degas paintings every time I go to the Met and always spend a lot of time comparing the two. I have never noticed any of this!! Thanks, this was fascinating!

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:40:56 +0000

In reply to Lynne Coffman. Hi Lynne, Such an interesting and close look at an aspect of Degas' work. I appreciate you sharing your observations with us!! It has made me go back and look at some of his other paintings :-D

By: Lynne Coffman

Lynne Coffman — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 16:20:17 +0000

My favorite is #2. I have to say, I believe the focus is not the back in the others. It is the underarm, the line of the raised arm going in to the arm pit, down the side of the breast. Much more sensual and equally feminine in all of the raised arms, almost to the point of not noticing the rest of the body. These were arm studies of a sensitive part of a woman’s body. Notice the raised arms in most of his paintings of bare arms. In the ballet studies, too.

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 00:24:21 +0000

In reply to Wend Prest.

Thanks Wendy!
Yes, it’s so interesting to look more deeply at these pieces and really see the changes Degas made.
And yes, let’s do this ourselves more often. I think I’ll take this idea up in the 31-pastels-in-31-days challenge!

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 00:22:34 +0000

In reply to Cheryl. Thanks Cheryl! The differences are quite something. I LOVE that DEgas went through the different iterations of the same subject, honing in on what he wanted to say.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:34:23 +0000

I loved your comparisons of these 3 pieces. The differences are astonishing. I too agree that the pastel came first because the changes made for a more interesting painting.

By: Wend Prest

Wend Prest — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 02:05:12 +0000

Thanks again, Gail, for an enlightening blog! I also like the pastel version better…so many parts have been improved. The more detailed background, less figures, the removal of one double bass and the repositioning of the other all make me believe that the pastel version was done last. (Not that I would have noticed without your notes, though!) It’s a grand lesson showing the improvements that can happen when we do the same subject more than once.

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 19:10:37 +0000

In reply to Ruth Burley. Don't they Ruth! Then look more closely and boom, all the differences, big and small, start to pop out. Interesting that you picked out that specific figure. I agree, the profile version does seem more complimentary than the face seen in the pastel painting. The one in the pastel reminds me of Degas' treatment of the Singer with A Glove - not very flattering!!

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 18:58:44 +0000

In reply to Laurie Sammons. You are welcome Laurie! So glad you enjoyed the comparisons.