Ballet Scene from Robert la Diable (detail) 1871

This scene from Robert la Diable was created by Edgar Degas with oil paints, likely in the late 19th century. The material handling here is fascinating. Degas worked with brushes loaded with pigment, dragging and layering the oil to create a sense of movement and depth. It’s easy to overlook oil painting as ‘traditional’, but remember, oil paint itself is a manufactured product – the result of grinding and mixing. The luminosity of the dancers is achieved through thin layers of paint, almost like glazes. It creates an ethereal effect, contrasting with the more thickly painted, grounded figures in the foreground. Consider the contrast between the highly skilled labor of the dancers, and the apparent leisure of the audience members, both captured through Degas's attention to the application of paint. Ultimately, Degas invites us to consider not only the spectacle of the ballet, but also the labor and social context that make such performances possible. He challenges the divide between fine art and the work and culture it represents.