Interpretive Resource

Probably displayed at the third Impressionist exhibition in 1877, Edgar Degas’ Ballet at the Paris Opéra provides a view of a stage from the orchestra pit, where the artist stationed himself to observe various activities taking place during a rehearsal. Along the bottom of this bold composition, musicians and male admirers crane their necks to catch a glimpse of their favorite ballerinas; at the near edge of the stage, several young dancers flutter hesitantly, fidgeting with their costumes and whispering in one another’s ears. They watch the principal dancer, who is on point, bathed in a pool of pinkish light; behind her are the faint forms of other dancers preparing to move forward into the spotlight. The stage flats seem to depict a tropical scene.

Degas experimented with mixed-media techniques throughout his career. For Ballet at the Paris Opéra, he first created a monotype—a unique print made by drawing and painting with black-brown ink on a metal plate and running it through a printing press—and then covered it with pastel. The dark monotype image, although obscured by the chalky pigment placed over it, gives the picture a shadowy, mysterious aura, while the pastel mimics the effects of artificial light and the textures of hair, skin, tulle, wood, and glitter.

The Opéra was more than a theater where performances took place; it was also an institution for teaching, training, and rehearsing, as well as a club for subscribers, who were allowed backstage. Degas was irresistibly drawn to the visual, musical, and social spectacle of the Opéra. With unsurpassed acuity, he captured both the harsh reality and lush fantasy that characterized this quintessentially modern realm.