Artwork
Yellow Dancers (In the Wings)
Yellow Dancers (In the Wings) is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1875 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
Yellow Dancers (In the Wings) is an oil painting executed by Edgar Degas in 1875. The work measures a modest scale and is part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. It presents a quiet, interior scene that captures a moment of preparation among three young women dressed in matching yellow costumes.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows three adolescent figures in yellow tutus, their arms linked as they stand close together. The central figure gazes downward while the two flanking dancers look toward her, suggesting a shared focus or private exchange. The setting, suggested by a softened background, evokes a backstage or rehearsal space, emphasizing the intimacy of the performers before they appear onstage.
Technique & Style
Degas employs oil on canvas with a muted palette dominated by yellows, greens, and soft neutrals. His brushwork renders the figures with delicate modeling, while the surrounding environment is rendered in a blurred, almost impressionistic manner. The contrast between the crisp rendering of the dancers and the vague backdrop highlights the artist’s interest in capturing fleeting moments.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑1870s, the painting reflects Degas’s ongoing fascination with ballet and theatrical subjects. After changing hands through private collections, it entered the Art Institute of Chicago’s holdings, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s European painting collection.
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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.
