Edgar Degas and his "Blue Dancers". Why Mostly Ballerinas?

If we say Degas we think of ballerinas, if we say ballerinas in art, we think of Degas.
I decided to write this post to answer the question why he mostly painted ballerinas. I had a feeling there was something in his life that made him obsessed with dance. But the answer was simple: “People call me the painter of dancing girls. It has never occurred to them that my main interest in dancers lies in rendering movement and painting pretty clothes.”

Today I would like to share some interesting facts about one of his famous pantings "Blue dancers". When we look at it we enjoy the colour and illusion of the dance but we don't notice some secrets in the painting.

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Fantastic pastel of Degas

"The Blue Dancers" are painted with pastel. Degas had a secret of working with it. He used water vapor on the painting and the pastel became softer, so he could rub it with fingers or a brush, it made the colour gleam.

But pastel has a drawback. As usual chalk pastel can crumble and will not survive long in comparison to oil. That is why painters treat it with a special liquid or hair spray. But Degas didn't accept any of what was available at that time as they diminished colours. His friend and Italian artist, Chialiva, made a secret composition which helped to save the colour and that is why Degas' pastels reached us in a very good condition. But Chialiva took his secret to the grave.

By the way Degas' "The Blue Dancers" could be black and white as Degas preferred to draw with coal but the public wanted colours.

Magic Composition

When we look at the painting we see four dancing ballerinas. But indeed they are not dancing. And they are not four.

The depicted girls are preparing to go on stage. One on the bottom leaned to correct a pointe. Two others correct dresses. The fourth is holding onto a decoration to see her costume's rear. But their movements are so gracious that you can think that they are dancing.
The most interesting thing is that it doesn't have to be a painting of four girls. It could be a one girl depicted in different moments of movement. In the personal documents of Degas they found the negatives of photos of one ballerina in different versions. Probably this painting was created with those photos.

The Painting with a Photo

It is assumed that the painting was not made with the assistance of models. Cut edges tell us that the painting was made from a photo. And it is not the only painting which has cut edges.

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Not all dancers of "The Blue Dancers" are captured in the "frame". Of two of them the top is cut off. You have the feeling that a photo was made without preparation and the girls didn't know that they were photographed.

Beautiful "Blue dancers"

Edgar Degas was indifferent to women and the more so to his models. He painted them without embellishments. So his dancers in other paintings are not that graceful and beautiful. He tried to paint life but not decorations.

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On the background of these truthful scenes, blue dancers seem the evocation of grace and beauty.

Secret of the Paris Opera

The blue dancers are ready to go on stage of the Paris Opera. This theater is still one of the most famous in the world. It is interesting that the theater is situated on a reservoir with water which was built in case of fire. And there are catfish which are fed by the theater employees.

It is amazing but Degas' talent was valued during his life. His "The Blue Dancers was sold for the huge amount of 60 000 francs.

But money didn't bring him happiness. He didn't have a family and was bad tempered.

Degas painted not only ballerinas. He has many other excellent works and I plan to tell about them in one of my future posts.

Yours, @aksinya.

Sources:
http://www.liveinternet.ru/community/3299606/post162123452/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/degas-and-his-dancers-79455990/