European Painting before 1900, Johnson Collection Ballet from an
Opera Box Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, French, 1834 - 1917
Pastel on paper Currently not on view Cat. 969John G. Johnson
Collection, 1917 LabelThe setting for this pastel is the Palais
Garnier Opéra House, where you can still attend performances
today. The Palais Garnier is famous for its opulent and
luxurious interior. However, instead of focusing on this richly
ornamented space, Edgar Degas concentrates on the colorful
dancers, the theatrical lighting, and the audience's
overwhelming visual experience. A finely dressed woman rests her
arm on a balcony railing and looks over her shoulder to watch
the performance from a box seat above the stage. A dancer in a
bright yellow and orange costume is taking a bow. Degas portrays
the spectacle from a disorienting point of view, cutting off the
central figures with other figures or with the edges of the
picture frame. He loved using pastel because he could scribble
lines but also use his fingers to smud