Two Dancers 1874 - 1879

Editor: Here we have Degas' "Two Dancers," made sometime between 1874 and 1879, using pastel and drawing on paper. I'm struck by how the sketch-like quality makes it feel like a fleeting moment, almost like catching a glimpse backstage. What do you see in this piece, looking at it with an iconographer's eye? Curator: For me, the dancers are rich with symbolic potential. Consider the ballerina—historically, she embodies ideals of grace, discipline, and even a kind of unattainable perfection. Yet Degas avoids idealization; there’s a raw, almost voyeuristic quality. Do you think he is celebrating them? Or studying them? Editor: Perhaps both? I get the sense that he's interested in the labor behind the performance, all that practice and repetition, more than any sense of perfection. Curator: Precisely. That repeated practice, the almost ritualistic element, allows us to delve deeper. Notice their mirrored poses. Do they suggest conformity and discipline, or an echo of shared dreams and ambitions? The hands clasped tightly signify anticipation, and suppressed fear; together these elements tap into the psychological experience of performance and its impact on identity, don't you think? Editor: I do! That idea of performance really changes how I see the hands – I’d overlooked their importance. Thank you. I’ll definitely consider this piece differently from now on! Curator: My pleasure. Thinking about those hidden layers within something as seemingly straightforward as "Two Dancers" enriches the experience. Every element carries so much meaning and context.