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Write a 2 pages paper on edgar degas spanish dance. Critical Reading & Writing Critical Reading & Writing Spring _____________________________________________________________ Date _______________

Artwork Title Edgar Dega’s Spanish dance

Artist’s Name Edgar Dega

Museum Name Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

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Form:

Function:

Line: curved

The line is curved to show the dance move and positions. Edgar loved dancers and unusual angles and in awkward poses that explain the curved sculptures

Color: metallic bronze

It adds artistic effects to already a refined model

Composition: wax

Most of Edgar Degas sculptures were made of wax. The position at which the sculptures were made could have been a bit tricky to make using a solid material. Besides, the use of wax enabled him to adjust the line and pose of the sculpture.

Size/Scale: small, ranging 15 7/8 x 6 1/2 x 7 inches (40.3 x 16.5 x 17.8 cm)

This enabled Edgar to create sculptures from extreme positions.

Material: bronze

After Edgar’s death, the sculptures were casted with bronze and displayed in some of the world’s known museums.

Context: (refers to when, where, and how a piece is presented, like a gallery wall)

The sculpture was made in 1896–1911 and was later casted 1919–26. It art is found in world’s finest museums such Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Additional Notes:

Born in France, Edgar Degas is one of renowned artist of his time. Though much of his work was not publicly exposed except the 14 street dancers, his work received recognition among his peers and art lovers. Most of his work focused on the high class members of society and he would draw pictures while they are at café, races and operas. Nevertheless, he also paid attention to other living on the peripheral of the world. Of particular concerns were Allerinas seen in his dances, resting, or perhaps performing. From this group, Edgar learned much and was a impressed by the dancing. In this particular sculpture, it speaks volume about the Spanish Dance, at that time. The pose and line illustrate the moves of the dance.

Edgar Degas’ sculpture stands out among the art mainstream of 19th century French sculpture. He did not have any intentions of making public monuments and it was until his death that most of his sculpture were casted and displayed in national museums. Most of his sculptures were modeled using wax to maintain an acute pose.

One of his works that appeared in public limelight is “Little Dancer of14 years” though it was faced with criticism and never did he again publicly exhibit his work. The rest of his works remained private. similar to the sketches and drawings on small range of subjects that seemed to fascinate him (Guggenheim 2015). The sculpture on human figure often repeated the same subject with varying composition or change of muscular tension with the body. Edgar had a ready source of inspiration from ballet dancers of the Opera, from Paris. Others sculpture recorded images of women in nudity when washing and drying their body.

Edgar Degas was born in 1843 from an affluent banking family and had his education in the classics including Greek, Latin and ancient history in Paris. His father realized his son artistic gift and helped him develop his career by often taking him to museums. Through many interactions, Edgar started to develop his artistic skills. He trained in Louis Lamothe studio who taught him on traditional academics style with a major concern in line and insistence on the draftsmanship. One of his trips in Italy, he was attracted to the frescoes he saw there and made sketches and drawing about them in his notebook.

Upon Edgars’ death 1917, close to 150 pieces of sculpture were found in a dilapidated state in his studio. Majority of them were made clay, plastiline and wax. By the year 1919, most of his work were casted for preservations and its contained in world’s finest museums (Guggenheim 2015).

Edgar somehow never reconciled to the label of “impressionist” and preferred to be called “realist”. Nevertheless, he was among the pioneer of the group founders, organizer of the set exhibitions and an integral member of the group. Just like the Impressionists, he was best known for capturing fleeting moments in rhyme with the modern life. Edgar showed little interest in painting landscape and preferred scenes in cafes and theaters illuminated by artificial light that used to help him clarify the contours of his drawings.

Edgars’ choice of the drawing subject matter reflects much on his modern life approach. He favored scenes of laundresses, denizens, milliners and most importantly the ballet dancers. His interest in ballet dancers grew immensely in the 1870 and made an overwhelming 1, 500 pieces of art on the subject (Guggenheim 2015). These pieces of art are not mere traditional portraits but movement of human body exploring the discipline and physicality of the dancer. The dancers managed this through the use of unexpected vantage points and contorted postures. In most of her works, the postures of the sculptures are difficult to comprehend but they attest to dancer’s flexibility.

I agree that Edgar was talented. The magnificent pieces of art are worth the Paris history. I would imagine how the elite would go to favorite coffee joints. play golf and how the town would be sparked with life with so many activities going around. Edgar obsession seems so natural that if I was an artist and really enjoyed dancing, a sculpture would what I would think of most to bring those memories.

Reference

Guggenheim. Guggenheim. February 28, 2015. http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artwork/1008 (accessed March 8, 2015).