The Ballet Master
1876
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1876
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Ballet Master is a 1876 chalk by Edgar Degas, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a ballet dancer mid-leap in a dark, smoky studio. A man stands nearby, holding a long pole. The dancer’s white tutu and arms stand out against the messy, ink-smeared background. The paper looks rough, like the artist worked fast and changed their mind often. The smudged lines and quick strokes make the scene feel alive but unfinished. The artist used ink and white chalk to fix mistakes, giving it a raw, sketchy look. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.
