Ballerinas Adjusting Their Dresses 1899

Edgar Degas made "Ballerinas Adjusting Their Dresses" with pastel, in no known year. The composition, tight and intimate, focuses on the dancers in a moment of backstage preparation. The overlapping figures create a sense of depth, while the loose strokes of pastel suggest movement and texture in their costumes. The color palette is warm, dominated by greens, pinks, and oranges, evoking a sense of soft light and atmosphere. Degas was interested in depicting modern life. The use of pastel allowed him to capture the fleeting moments of the dancers' lives, emphasizing the artifice and labor behind the spectacle of the ballet. The semiotic analysis reveals how the dancers themselves become signs representing femininity and performance, while the backstage setting challenges traditional notions of beauty and grace. Notice the contrast between the soft colors and the structured composition. This tension highlights the complexities of representation, reminding us that art is not just about what we see, but how we see it.