Second Arabesque 1850 - 1920

Editor: Here we have Degas' "Second Arabesque," a bronze sculpture created sometime between 1850 and 1920, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I find the dancer's pose so graceful, yet something about the rough texture of the bronze gives it an almost unfinished quality. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: That contrast you’ve noticed between grace and a rough texture is very much a product of its time and the circumstances surrounding its creation. Remember, Degas was primarily a painter. This sculpture, like many others he produced, was not originally intended for public display. Editor: Oh, really? So it wasn't made to be in a museum? Curator: Precisely. They were privately made. In the context of the late 19th and early 20th century art world, academic sculptures, usually in marble, held prestige as public art and permanent artworks; Degas’ sculptures of dancers were secondary, even regarded as preliminary sketches in three dimensions for his paintings, and sometimes even left in wax or clay, which are less-than-permanent materials. Editor: That’s so interesting. So the fact that we are seeing this bronze version at the Met now is not really what Degas had in mind when he created it. Curator: It speaks to the shifting values placed on different types of art, doesn’t it? And it makes me wonder how different the reception would be if Degas had shown the bronze rather than painting ballet dancers. Editor: This completely reframes the piece for me. It’s more than just a pretty bronze dancer; it’s a symbol of how art historical context and value is constructed! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!