The Ballet Scene from Meyerbeer's Opera <i>Robert Le Diable</i>
1876
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1876
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This painting shows a crowded stage where ballerinas in white dresses rehearse. Degas painted it after watching real dancers practice. The floor slopes up in the background, so figures in the front look much bigger. Degas loved ballet. He spent years sketching dancers in their messy backstage moments. Here, he mixes bright stage lights with dark shadows behind the scenes. Look up an earlier artist who also loved dancers: Edgar Degas.
