Norton Simon Museum
of Art, Los Angeles,
1881 A.D.
Although Degas is
mainly known as a
painter, sculpting
was almost as
important in his
life. He began
seriously to sculpt
when he was in his
early forties and,
although he probably
had no thought of
exhibiting most of
his sculpture, his
modeling increasingly
became a major part
of his work. At the
time of his death his
studio contained more
than one-hundred and
fifty wax models
which he had made of
dancing girls, race
horses and women
working or bathing.
With failing
eyesight, sculpting
became his principal
medium of expression
at the end of his
career. "Everyone has
talent at twenty-
five. The difficulty
is to have it at
fifty." Edgar Degas
(1834-1917.). The
only sculpture
exhibited by Degas in
his lifetime, the wax
version of the Little
Dancer caused a furor
when first exhibited
in 1881 because of
its stark realism as
Degas was clearly
using the sculpture
to question accepted
ideas of art. A
sympathetic critic
observed: "The
terrible truthfulness
of this statuette is
a source of obvious
discomfort... all
their notions about
sculpture, about that
cold, inanimate
whiteness, those
memorable stereotypes
replicated for
centuries, are
demolished. The fact
is that, on first
blow M. Degas has
overturned the
conventions of
sculpture."
Size: 8.75"H (22cm)
Item Type: statue
Material: cultured
marble
Weight (lbs): 3
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Product Details: NAME: Little Dancer by Degas - Small TYPE: Reproduction MANUFACTURER: Shop SKU: T-02-2
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Little Dancer by Degas - Small |
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