Artwork
Actresses in Their Dressing Rooms
Actresses in Their Dressing Rooms is a print by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1880 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This print, produced during Edgar Degas’s most active phase of etching, portrays two female performers in adjacent backstage rooms. The scene is illuminated by the soft glow of gaslight, emphasizing the confined interior and the intimate moment of preparation before a show.
Subject & Meaning
Degas captures a private glimpse of theatrical life, focusing on the actresses as they attend to costumes and makeup. By situating the figures away from the stage, the work highlights the behind‑the‑scenes labor and the fleeting, personal rituals that precede public performance.
Technique & Style
The image was created by incising the composition onto a metal plate, then printing the impression onto paper. Degas manipulates overlapping walls, curtains, and light sources to generate a labyrinthine arrangement, employing strong contrasts of light and dark that echo the chiaroscuro tradition.
History & Provenance
Executed in the late 1870s, the print belongs to the period when Degas expanded his practice beyond painting and pastel. It entered public collections through early 20th‑century acquisitions, reflecting the artist’s growing reputation as a versatile printmaker.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.
