Dancer Looking at the Sole of Her Right Foot (Fourth State) 1890 - 1920

This bronze sculpture, Dancer Looking at the Sole of Her Right Foot, was made by Edgar Degas, though we don’t know exactly when. What strikes me is how Degas captures this dancer mid-motion, her pose so off-kilter it almost feels like she might topple over. The surface of the bronze is pretty interesting – the way it catches the light and shadow gives it a kind of rough, almost nervous energy. You can almost feel Degas’ hand in the way the figure is modeled. Look at the way the muscles are suggested, not smoothed out, but with a kind of restless energy. It reminds me of some of Rodin’s figures, the way they seem to emerge from the material itself. The way the base of the statue seems unfinished too, kind of clumpy and raw, only adds to this sense of immediacy. You know, it's like Degas is saying that the process of making is just as important as the finished product. And that’s something I can really get behind.