The ballet is a major theme in Edgar Degas's work; even during his lifetime, he was well known as the "painter of dancing girls.
" In the 1870s, wealthy Parisians with season tickets to the Paris Opera would socialize with ballet dancers backstage.
Background Degas was attracted to the rigorous and spectacular transformation of the ballerinas.
Young, poor girls, often no older than seven years old, spent long hours rehearsing grueling exercises in order to prepare for the stage.
Degas likely saw in these girls a reflection of himself: he too devoted countless time mastering the techniques of his craft.
Technique Given Degas's fascination with the dancers' development, it should come as no surprise that his paintings focus primarily on the preparation of the ballet, not the final performance.
He depicts rehearsals in the studio and activity backstage, presenting you with an intimate view of the dancers who make the ballet possible.
Moreover, Degas's soft brushstrokes imbue his paintings with a feeling of movement and lightness.
Even when Degas paints dancers performing onstage, the sense of movement and unusual perspective from backstage, for example, or from the orchestra pit gives the paintings a uniquely vivid feel.
In Sum Degas is one of the rare painters whose work invites you to experience a familiar world from a new perspective.
Rather than depict the star dancer performing center stage, he pulls you backstage for a more honest and complete view of the ballet.
  This ability of his allowed him to become one of the most prolific artists of his time.