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Full length portrait of a ballerina holding a pose

Charcoal and graphite lines on pale rose paper portray a woman standing in a tutu and ballet slippers in a three quarter pose facing left, with her face tilted to the right looking away. She wears her hair styled up and a ribbon around her neck, as she holds out her hands, gesturing in front of her. Her left foot planted in front of her, her right foot behind her is up on one toe. White touches highlight her bodice, arm and collarbone.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1965.263
People
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, French (Paris, France 1834 - 1917 Paris, France)
Title
A Ballet Dancer in Position Facing Three-Quarters Front
Classification
Drawings
Work Type
drawing
Date
c. 1872-1873
Culture
French
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/296579

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Graphite, prepared black chalk, white chalk, and touches of blue-green pastel on pink wove paper, squared in prepared black chalk
Dimensions
41 x 27.6 cm (16 1/8 x 10 7/8 in.)
framed: 67.9 x 53 x 5.1 cm (26 3/4 x 20 7/8 x 2 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • Signed: Graphite, l.r.: Degas
  • inscription: l.r., graphite, signed, in artist's hand: Degas

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, sold; [though Atelier Degas at Vente I, no. 328, 1918]. [César M. de Hauke], sold; to Paul J. Sachs, Cambridge, 1929, bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1965.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Meta and Paul J. Sachs
Accession Year
1965
Object Number
1965.263
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Vingt dessins de Degas, 1861-1896, Goupil et Cie (Paris, France, 1898), pl. X
  • Paul Jamot, Degas, Gazette des Beaux-Arts (Paris, France, 1924), p. 135, pl. 18
  • Jean Guiffrey, ed., La Peinture au Musée du Louvre: Tome 1. Ecole française, L'Illustration (Paris, France, 1929), XIXe siècle, part 3, p. 64
  • Degas, checklist, Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA, 1931), no. 23
  • Independent Painters of Nineteenth Century Paris, exh. cat., Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, MA, 1935), no. 118
  • Master Drawings, Selected from the Museums and Private Collections of America, exh. cat., Buffalo Fine Arts Academy/Albright Art Gallery (Buffalo, NY, 1935), no. 116, repr.
  • Degas, 1834-1917, exh. cat., Pennsylvania Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA, 1936), no. 75, repr.
  • Jacqueline Bouchot-Saupique and Marie Delaroche-Vernet, Degas, exh. cat., Musée de l'Orangerie (Paris, France, 1937), no. 81
  • Agnes Mongan and Paul J. Sachs, Drawings in the Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard University Press (Cambridge, 1940), vol. 1, cat. no. 670, fig. 346
  • Annemarie Henle, Master Drawings: An Exhibition of Drawings from American Museums and Private Collections, exh. cat., Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate International Exposition (San Francisco, 1940), no. 19, repr.
  • Masterpieces of 19th and 20th Century French Drawing from the Fogg Museum..., brochure, Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, MI, 1941), checklist no. 23
  • René Huyghe and Philippe Jaccottet, Le dessin français au XIXe siècle, Mermod (Lausanne, Switzerland, 1948), p. 175, repr. p. 92
  • Lillian Browse, Degas Dancers, The Studio Publications Incorporated (New York, NY, 1949), p. 338, pl. 10
  • Diamond Jubilee Exhibition: Masterpieces of Drawing, exh. cat., Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA, 1950), no. 95, repr.
  • Paul J. Sachs, The Pocket Book of Great Drawings, Pocket Books, Inc. (New York, 1951), p. 106, pl. 64
  • Agnes Mongan, De Clouet a Matisse: Dessins français des collections américaines, exh. cat., Musée de l'Orangerie (Paris, 1958), no. 166, pl. 162
  • Agnes Mongan, Van Clouet tot Matisse: tentoonstelling van franse tekeningen uit amerikaanse collecties, exh. cat., Museum Boymans (Rotterdam, 1958), no. 166, pl. 148
  • Agnes Mongan, "De Clouet à Matisse: Les Américains Collectionneurs de Dessins Français", Le Jardin des Arts (Paris, France, January 1959), no. 51, repr. p. 189
  • "Mostra del disegno francese al Metropolitan Museum", Emporium (Bergamo, Italy, July 1959), vol. CXXX, no. 775, repr. p. 29
  • Agnes Mongan, French Drawings from American Collections: Clouet to Matisse, exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, 1959), cat. no. 166, pp. 110-111, pl. 148, repr.
  • Jakob Rosenberg, Great Draughtsmen from Pisanello to Picasso, Harvard University Press (Cambridge, MA, 1959), pp. 109 and xxii; repr.
  • Lillian Browse, "Edgar Degas Ballet Dancers", The Folio Society (London, England, 1960), fig. 4, no. 10
  • "Great Drawings", Saturday Review (May 27, 1961), repr. p. 23
  • Ingres and Degas: Two Classical Draughtsmen, exh. cat., Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA, 1961), no. 20
  • Agnes Mongan, Great Drawings of All Time, ed. Ira Moskowitz and Victoria Thorson, Shorewood Publishers Inc. (New York, 1962), cat. no. 781, n.p., repr.
  • Fogg Art Museum, Studies and Study Sheets: Master Drawings from Five Centuries, exh. cat., Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA, 1964), no. 13
  • Agnes Mongan, Memorial Exhibition: Works of Art from the Collection of Paul J. Sachs [1878-1965]: given and bequeathed to the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, exh. cat., Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, 1965), cat. no. 59, repr.
  • Jean Sutherland Boggs, Drawings by Degas, exh. cat., City Art Museum of St. Louis (St. Louis, MO, 1966), no. 70, repr.
  • Philip Rawson, Drawing, Oxford University Press (UK) (London, England, 1969), p. 205, repr. p. 206
  • Eduard Hüttinger, Degas, Crown Publishers Inc. (New York, NY, 1977), repr. p. 55
  • Nathan Goldstein, The Art of Responsive Drawing [2nd ed.], Prentice-Hall Press (Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1977), fig. 6.19
  • Ian Dunlop, Degas, Harper & Row (New York, NY, 1979), fig. 105
  • Linda D. Muehlig, Degas and the dance, exh. cat., Smith College Museum of Art (Northampton, MA, 1979), no. 8, repr.
  • George T.M. Shackelford, Degas: The Dancers, exh. cat., National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C, 1984), no. 14, repr.
  • Philip Rawson, The Art of Drawing: An Instructional Guide, Prentice Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1984), p. 81, fig. 102
  • Nathan Goldstein, The Art of Responsive Drawing, Prentice-Hall Press (Englewood Cliffs, 1984), p. 160, fig. 6.19
  • The Great Artists, Part 16: Degas, Marshall Cavendish Ltd. (London, England, 1985), p. 493
  • Richard Kendall, ed., Degas by himself: Drawings, Prints, Paintings, Writings, Macdonald Orbis (London, England, 1987), plate 147 (color)
  • Philip Rawson, Drawing [2nd ed.], University of Pennsylvania Press (Philadelphia, PA, 1987), repr. p. 206
  • Robert Gordon and Andrew Forge, Degas, Thames & Hudson (London, England, 1988), repr. p. 174
  • Horst Keller, Edgar Degas, Bruckmann Verlag (München, 1988), p. 102; fig. 17
  • Colin Barnes, Fashion Illustration, Little, Brown & Company (Boston, MA and London, England, 1988), repr. (color) p. 33
  • Frank Milner, Degas, Bison Group (London, England, 1990), repr. p. 15
  • Nathan Goldstein, The Art of Responsive Drawing, Prentice-Hall Press (Englewood Cliffs, 1992), p. 163, fig. 6.24
  • Ann Dumas and Colta Ives, The Private Collection of Edgar Degas, exh. cat., Metropolitan Museum of Art / Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (New York, NY, 1997), p. 92, fig. 112 (color)
  • Jill DeVonyar and Richard Kendall, Degas and the Dance, exh. cat., American Federation of Arts/Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (New York, NY, 2002), p. 201, pl. 226
  • Marjorie B. Cohn and Jean Sutherland Boggs, Degas at Harvard, exh. cat., Harvard University Art Museums/Yale University Press (Cambridge and New Haven, 2005), cat. no. 48, fig. 8 (color), pp. 29, 52
  • Catalogue des tableaux, pastels et dessins par Edgar Degas et provenant de son atelier 1e vente: May 16-18, 1918, auct. cat., Galerie Georges Petit (Paris, France, May 6 - May 8, 1918), no. 328, repr.
  • Deborah Rockman, Drawing Essentials: A Guide to Drawing from Observation, Oxford University Press (NY) (New York, 2009), fig. 2-53, p. 117
  • Elizabeth Cowling and Richard Kendall, Picasso Looks at Degas, exh. cat., Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (Williamstown, MA, 2010), p. 109, fig. 123 (Goupil reproduction)
  • Henri Loyrette, Degas: A New Vision, exh. cat., National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Melbourne/Houston, 2016), repr. p. 102
  • Deborah Rockman, Drawing Essentials: A Complete Guide to Drawing, Oxford University Press (NY) (New York, 2017), p. 173, fig. 4-15

Exhibition History

  • Exhibition of Drawings by Degas, Jacques Seligmann & Co., New York, 10/27/1930 - 11/15/1930
  • Degas, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 05/09/1931 - 05/30/1931
  • Drawings by Degas, City Art Museum of St. Louis, St. Louis, 01/01/1932 - 12/31/1932
  • Master Drawings, Selected from the Museums and Private Collections of America, Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Buffalo, 01/01/1935 - 01/31/1935
  • Independent Painters of 19th Century Paris, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, 03/15/1935 - 04/28/1935
  • Degas, 1834-1917, Pennsylvania Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 11/01/1936 - 11/30/1936
  • Degas, Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris, 03/01/1937 - 05/20/1937
  • The Ballet in Art, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Boston, 01/01/1938 - 01/31/1938
  • Great Modern French Drawings, Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences Museum, Brooklyn, 01/01/1939 - 03/12/1939
  • Master Drawings: An Exhibition of Drawings from American Museums and Private Collections, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 01/01/1940 - 12/31/1940
  • Great Modern Drawings, Phillips Memorial Gallery, Washington, 04/07/1940 - 05/01/1940
  • Masterpieces of 19th and 20th Century French Drawing from the Fogg Museum of Art at Harvard University and the Museum of Modern Art of New York City, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, 05/01/1941 - 06/01/1941
  • Masterpieces of 19th-Century French Painting, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, 01/19/1944 - 02/20/1944
  • Edgar Degas Bronzes, Drawings, Pastels, Buchholz Gallery, New York, 01/03/1945 - 01/27/1945
  • Drawings from the Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard University (Collected by Paul J. Sachs), Century Club, New York, 05/12/1947 - 09/25/1947
  • The Diamond Jubilee, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 11/04/1950 - 02/11/1951
  • French Drawings from the Fogg Art Museum, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, 03/28/1952 - 04/28/1952
  • Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Sculpture by Edgar Degas, The Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, 10/16/1955 - 11/13/1955
  • An Exhibition of Drawings, Colby College, Miller Library, Waterville, 04/27/1956 - 05/23/1956
  • French Drawings from American Collections: Clouet to Matisse, Museum Boymans, Rotterdam, 07/31/1958 - 09/28/1958; Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris, 10/24/1958 - 01/02/1959; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 02/03/1959 - 03/15/1959
  • Ingres and Degas: Two Classical Draughtsmen, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 04/24/1961 - 05/20/1961
  • Studies and Study Sheets, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 03/26/1964 - 04/18/1964
  • Memorial Exhibition: Works of Art from the Collection of Paul J. Sachs [1878-1965] Given and Bequeathed to the Fogg Art Museum Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 11/15/1965 - 01/15/1966; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 12/19/1966 - 02/26/1967
  • Drawings by Degas, City Art Museum of St. Louis, St. Louis, 01/20/1967 - 02/26/1967; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 03/10/1967 - 04/30/1967; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 05/16/1967 - 06/25/1967
  • Degas and the Dance, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, 04/05/1979 - 05/27/1979
  • Degas: The Dancers, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 11/22/1984 - 03/10/1985
  • The Heavenly Twins: Edward W. Forbes, Paul J. Sachs and the Building of a Collection, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/23/1995 - 12/17/1995
  • Degas at Harvard, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 08/01/2005 - 11/27/2005
  • Degas: A New Vision, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Melbourne, 06/24/2016 - 09/18/2016; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, 10/16/2016 - 01/16/2017

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu