Artwork
Dancers
Dancers is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Degas used pastels here, layering soft yellows, oranges, and pinks until the paper looks rough.
This painting shows three ballet dancers stretching in the background, their backs to us. They’re not performing—they’re just loosening up between dances. Degas used pastels here, layering soft yellows, oranges, and pinks until the paper looks rough.
He liked these quiet moments better than big stage scenes. The dancers don’t pose—they just exist, caught in their own world.
Look up Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917) to see more of his offstage ballet scenes.
Overview
Dancers is a pastel drawing by Edgar Degas depicting three ballet dancers stretching in the wings.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing captures a private moment backstage, showing the dancers unaware of the viewer's presence as they loosen up between performances. Degas favored such intimate, unposed scenes over formal stage settings.
Technique & Style
The work showcases Degas's innovative use of pastel, with layered applications of yellow, orange, and pink creating a textured, rough surface. He employed special techniques to achieve varying levels of opacity and transparency, resulting in a rich, vibrant palette.
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.
