Degas – A New Vision

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The National Gallery of Victoria’s latest blockbuster exhibition – Degas: A New Vision – explores the scope of the artist’s work reaching beyond his well known paintings of ballerinas and horse-racing.  If you can get there, do go.

Edgar Degas In a café (The Absinthe drinker) c. 1875–76 oil on canvas 92 x 68.5 cm Musée d'Orsay, Paris (RF 1984) © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Martine Beck-Coppola

Edgar Degas In a café (The Absinthe drinker) c. 1875–76 oil on canvas 92 x 68.5 cm Musée d’Orsay, Paris (RF 1984) © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Martine Beck-Coppola

More than 200 works form the exhibition and include drawings, sculpture and photography curated from 65 lenders from across the globe.  Degas’ fascination with the female form is evident in his depiction of women in their everyday lives.  There’s so much to enjoy and find inspiring.

Edgar Degas Woman seated on the edge of the bath sponging her neck 1880–95 oil and essence on paper mounted to canvas 52.2 x 67.5 cm Musée d'Orsay, Paris (RF 1989 2) © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski

Edgar Degas Woman seated on the edge of the bath sponging her neck 1880–95 oil and essence on paper mounted to canvas 52.2 x 67.5 cm Musée d’Orsay, Paris (RF 1989 2) © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski

Edgar Degas The tub 1888–89, cast 1919–32 bronze 22.5 x 45.0 x 42.0 cm Czestochowski/Pingeot 26 (cast S) Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Assis Chateaubriand Donated by Alberto José Alves, Alberto Alves Filho and Alcino Ribeiro de Lima (409 E)  Photograph:  GRACIE

Edgar Degas The tub 1888–89, cast 1919–32 bronze 22.5 x 45.0 x 42.0 cm Czestochowski/Pingeot 26 (cast S) Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Assis Chateaubriand
Donated by Alberto José Alves, Alberto Alves Filho and Alcino Ribeiro de Lima (409 E) Photograph: GRACIE

Unlike the impressionist painters of the time, Degas would gather his sketches of everyday people, including his sketches of horses and their riders, and then proceed to paint indoors in his studio.

Edgar Degas Out of the paddock (Racehorses) c. 1871–72, reworked c. 1874–78 oil on wood panel 32.5 x 40.5 cm Private collection

Edgar Degas Out of the paddock (Racehorses) c. 1871–72, reworked c. 1874–78
oil on wood pane 32.5 x 40.5 cm
Private collection

Don’t over look the incredible series of brothel scene drawings that are actual monotype prints that look amazingly like photographs.

Brothel Scene:  Degas - monotype printing  Photograph:  GRACIE

Brothel Scene: Degas – monotype printing Photograph: GRACIE

Degas’ preoccupation with the theatre and ballet required that he explore artificial light which was in direct contrast to his contemporaries who preferred to paint outdoors.  The colour and movement in these paintings is just exquisite.

Edgar Degas The dance class c. 1873 oil on canvas 47.6 x 62.2 cm National Gallery, Washington D.C. Corcoran Collection (William A. Clark Collection) (2014.79.710) © Courtesy of National Gallery, Washington

Edgar Degas The dance class c. 1873 oil on canvas 47.6 x 62.2 cm National Gallery, Washington D.C. Corcoran Collection (William A. Clark Collection) (2014.79.710) © Courtesy of National Gallery, Washington

Degas drew upon influences from Japanese prints and Italian Mannerism. He was attracted to movement that was both precise and disciplined.

Most famous and captivating is the famous bronze sculpture – The little fourteen-year-old dancer, 1879–81.  Originally created in pigmented wax, she was fitted with real hair and satin ribbon, cotton and silk tutu and dancing slippers, the inner structure being made of wire and broken wooden paintbrushes.  The original sculpture is pictured below and forms part of the National Museum of Art in Washington DC.

'Little Dancer aged Fourteen' pigmented beeswax, clay, metal armature, rope, paintbrushes, human hair, silk and linen ribbon cotton faille bodice, cotton and silk tutu, linen slippers, on wooden base.    The National Gallery of Washington DC  Photograph:  GRACIE

‘Little Dancer aged Fourteen’ pigmented beeswax, clay, metal armature, rope, paintbrushes, human hair, silk and linen ribbon cotton faille bodice, cotton and silk tutu, linen slippers, on wooden base. The National Gallery of Washington DC Photograph: GRACIE

Degas: A New Vision features this bronze casting which is equally captivating and exudes a charm from every angle.

Edgar Degas The little fourteen-year-old dancer 1879–81, cast 1922–37 bronze with cotton skirt and satin ribbon 99.0 x 35.2 x 24.5 cm Czestochowski/Pingeot 73 (cast unlettered) Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Assis Chateaubriand Donated by Alberto José Alves, Alberto Alves Filho and Alcino Ribeiro de Lima (426 E)

Edgar Degas The little fourteen-year-old dancer 1879–81, cast 1922–37 Installation view of Degas: A New Vision at NGV International, 24 June – 18 September 2016. Photo: Tom Ross

Degas:  A New Vision is a really impressive exhibition that the NGV is hosting until 18 September 2016 when it will then move on to Houston, USA.  Be sure to see it before it does.

For further details regarding ticket purchasing and of associated events visit the website here

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