Dancer looking at the Sole of her Right Foot
Dancer looking at the Sole of her Right Foot

Maker

(Artists)
1834-1917

(Foundry)

Title

Dancer looking at the Sole of her Right Foot
Dancer looking at the Sole of her Right Foot

Date of Production

c. 1895-1900

Medium

bronze cast

Dimensions

Width: 25 cm
Depth: 19 cm

Accession Number

S.2010.XX.1

Mode of Acquisition

HM Government (Acceptance in Lieu), allocation, 2010

Credit

Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Samuel Courtauld Trust, 2010.

Location

On display

Keywords


Label Text

In his sculptures of dancers, Edgar Degas sought to capture the body in motion or in strenuous ballet postures. His models were often young and impoverished ballerinas at the Paris Opéra. A regular model of his, known only as Pauline, described the strain of this pose, which she held repeatedly over many sessions.
One of the very few sculptures of ballet dancers known to have been cast in plaster during Degas’ lifetime, it demonstrates his ability to capture and give dignity to a fleeting moment of effort. The woman depicted here was one of Degas’ regular models, Pauline, who in an interview after his death talked about the great strain of holding this particular pose.

Provenance

Leicester Galleries, London; purchased by Samuel Courtauld in March 1923; bequeathed to Dame Anne McLaren, 1947; Offered by her estate and accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Samuel Courtauld Trust, 2010.

Exhibition History

Masterpieces of Impressionism from The Courtauld Gallery, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan, 10/09/2019-15/12/2019; Aichi Prefectural Museum, Nagoya, Japan, 03/01/2020-15/03/2020; Kobe City Museum, Kobe, Japan, 28/03/2020-21/06/2020

The Courtauld Collection. A Vision for Impressionism, Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris, 20/02/2019-17/06/2019

Courtauld Connects Regional Programme (Pilot) - Degas' Dancers, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry, 11/03/2016-19/06/2016 ...More

Summer Showcase - Unfinished, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 18/06/2015-20/09/2015

The Courtauld Collects - 20 Years of Acquisitions, Somerset House & London & England, 17/06/2010-19/09/2010

Into the 20th century - New Displays at the Courtauld, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 10/10/2002

Degas Sculpture, Tate Gallery, London, 1948

Degas Sculpture, Leicester Galleries, London, 1923 (February) ...Less

Inscriptions

Inscription: inscribed : signed in the metal : : : Degas

Inscription: stamped (?) : : founder's mark : A A Hébrard

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