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Degas: Drawings and Sketchbooks
September 24, 2010, through January 23, 2011
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas (1834–1917)
Three Studies of a Dancer
Black chalk, Conté crayon (?), and pink chalk, heightened with white chalk, on blue paper faded to light brown
8 3/4 x 24 3/4 inches (475 x 628 mm)
Gift of The International Music & Art Foundation; 2001.12 |
This selection of more than twenty drawings by Edgar Degas (1834–1917) from the Morgan's collections captures his dynamic and varied use of drawing and includes some of the most quintessential subjects depicted by the artist. From his earliest drawings of scenes from contemporary life and portraits of himself, family members, and friends, to his later intensive studies of dancers and performers, the Morgan's collection is rich in examples of the artist's use of drawing throughout his career.
On view are examples of drawings from Degas' early years, such as the Self-Portrait in a Brown Vest and Study of a Male Nude. A great admirer of the old masters, Degas used traditional techniques such as watercolor, graphite, and black chalk in both drawings. In addition, the exhibition includes Three Studies of a Dancer (ca. 1880), easily recognizable as the study for the celebrated wax sculpture. Later in his career, Degas explored daring and innovative combinations of essence (thinned oil paint) and pastels over a previously printed monotype of a lithograph as seen in Mlle. Bécat at the Café des Ambassadeurs. Also on view are two sketchbooks used by the artist, one early during his first trip to Italy, the other employed during the height of his fame in Paris.
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