Edgar Degas
Degas's only showing of sculpture during his life took place in 1881 when he exhibited "The Little Dancer of Fourteen Years". A nearly life-size wax figure with real hair and dressed in a cloth tutu, it provoked a strong reaction from critics, most of whom found its realism extraordinary but denounced the dancer as ugly. In a review, J.-K. Huysmans wrote: "The terrible reality of this statuette evidently produces uneasiness in the spectators; all their notions about sculpture, about those cold inanimate whitenesses ... are here overturned. The fact is that with his first attempt Monsieur Degas has revolutionized the traditions of sculpture as he has long since shaken the conventions of painting."
Singer with A Glove
Ballet Rehearsal (1873) and The Ballet Class (1874) also depict performers both on stage and in practice. Degas is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers alone. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, although he rejected the term, and preferred to think of himself as a realist. Singer with A Glove is currently at the Fogg Art Museum, a museum associated with Harvard University along with two other museums and four research centers. At the Fogg museum, they have a permanent exhibition featuring Degas and his works, with near 70 pieces in their collection. The Fogg was the first museum to mount an exhibition of works by Degas, which became a very pivotal moment in his lifetime. At the first initial showing at the Fogg, attendance totaled 550 people, which at the time was considered a success. Singer with A Glove has been present in the Fogg’s collection since 1951.