Dancer by the Stove 1889 - 1890

Georges-William Thornley sketched Dancer by the Stove with red chalk, or sanguine, on paper. It is a study of a ballerina in what appears to be a backstage room of a Parisian theater. The stove, and the dancer’s posture, remind us that, despite the glamour, ballet is hard work. Thornley may have intended to capture something of the everyday reality of a dancer's life. This was a common theme in late 19th century French art, particularly associated with Edgar Degas, who focused on working-class women in his depictions of dancers, laundresses, and milliners. The sketch is interesting in its own right as an example of academic draftsmanship. But we can also consider it as part of the longer history of the representation of women as laborers. Further research into the archives of Parisian theaters, as well as costume and dance history, might reveal much more about the social context of this work.