Dancers, Pink and Green 1894

Edgar Degas made this pastel drawing, 'Dancers, Pink and Green,' in France. Though undated, the style places it in the later part of the 19th century. Degas is celebrated for his images of modern life, especially his scenes of Parisian ballet. Here, two dancers are captured in a moment of backstage repose, their tutus a froth of pink and green. What makes this image interesting is the cultural status of ballet. The Paris Opera was not simply a theatre, it was a powerful cultural institution, closely associated with the French state. Ballet dancers were figures of public fascination but, because of the widespread phenomenon of wealthy male patrons, also vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Degas' images of dancers are often interpreted as exposing the harsh realities behind the glamour of the stage. To fully understand this artwork, historians delve into archives, studying theatre programmes, social commentaries, and the biographies of dancers, building a rich picture of the cultural context that shaped this compelling image.