Edgar Degas' The Dance Class: Modernity, Impressionism, and Society

This essay delves into Edgar Degas' "The Dance Class," exploring its depiction of modernity and its embrace of Impressionistic techniques. The analysis examines how Degas captures a snapshot of modern life, utilizing non-traditional perspectives and a sense of spontaneity to reflect the contemporary urban environment. The essay highlights Degas' use of elements like mirrors and posters to create a modern setting, and it discusses the painting's snapshot-like perspective, which gives the viewer a glimpse into a moment rather than a staged performance. The essay also discusses the context of the painting, including its connection to Jules Perrot and the Paris Opera. It emphasizes Degas' focus on the ballerinas' expressions and movements, showcasing his commitment to the Impressionist style. The essay concludes by asserting that "The Dance Class" embodies the essence of modern art through its innovative techniques and its portrayal of everyday life, solidifying its place as a pioneering work in the Impressionist movement.

Running head: THE DANCE CLASS OF DEGAS
Edgar Degas “The Dancing Class, ca 1870”
Edgar Degas “The Old Italian Woman,
1857”
Edgar Degas “Male Nude, 1856”
Edgar Degas “A Woman Ironing, 1873”
Edgar Degas “Sulking, ca. 1870”
Degas Dance Class: A Mirror of Society
Manelfy Delacruz
Assignment #2
September 16, 2019

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THE DANCE CLASS OF DEGAS
Art is considered to be the mirror of the society. The realities as it exists in the society,
finds their expression in the various art forms as paintings, dance, music and other cultural forms
of expression. With the changes in time, the various art forms have also changed. One of the
most important transformation that has been brought about in the society is with regard to the
introduction of the idea of ‘modernity’1. In essay tries to understand how the painting of Degas
known as the “Dance Class” evoke a sense of modernity among its viewers. In this respect, the
essay analyzes this painting and also tries to understand how it personifies the aspect of
modernity as observed in the contemporary world.
Edgar Degas’s The Dance Class is considered to be a modern painting. In it he shows a glimpse
of modern life through including non-traditional perspective as well as a snapshot feeling of all
the people doing different things to show his time as a modern urban environment—just like
today. He also includes things like a mirror and advertisement to reflect a modern environment,
This is also why there is really no central figure and the eye moves throughout the painting. It is
like passing people on the subway—he is giving us a glimpse, not a staged performance.
The painting of Degas and the Dance portrays a happy and satisfied photo within the field
of art. Edgar Degas is considered to an advocator of the field of Impressionism and sues the
passing sensations, the sensual surface and the momentary lights in order to provide an
underlying feature to his art work. The main aim of an impressionistic painting to create an
“impression”, an “illusion”. It is said that it was based on the observation of Leonardo da Vinci.
According to him, the color of the face and clothes of a person changes and appear to be green
when they walk through a sunlight field. Color as they in the field of Arts is not an fixed aspect
of an object or a painting but may be subjected to change because of the effect of the change in
respect to reflection , weather and light on the objects surface.
1Battisti, Federica, and Chiara Di Stefano. "Virtual Reality meets Degas: an immersive framework for art
exploration and learning." In 2018 7th European Workshop on Visual Information Processing (EUVIP), pp. 1-5.
IEEE, 2018.

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THE DANCE CLASS OF DEGAS
In “The Dance Class” which was painted in the year of 1874, Degas painted several ballerina
which proved to be the most effective depiction of the Impressionist art and all of its unique
features2. The painting sought to provide the theme of a dance class which was conducted under
the guidance of Jules Perrot who was considered to be one of the most famous ballet masters.
The dance class was being held in the Paris Opera which, in reality, was burnt down in the
previous year. Furthermore, the painting also consisted of a poster known as the Guillaume Tell,
of Rosssini3. It was a tribute paid to the opera singer of Jean Baptiste Faure, who in reality, was
the one to commission the work to Edgar Degas.
The painting of “The Dance Class” is important as it shows the effective movement of
Degas towards the Impressionist form of art work. Within the painting, it can be observed that
Degas sought to bring about more expression within the ballerinas rather than focusing on the
painting as a whole4. Degas was successful in giving the illusion that the art was painted from a
raised platform. This can be stated as the Snapshot perspectives. In the flowing painting by
Edgar Degas the dance room was depicted in a receding and oblique perspective which was
future highlighted with the help of the lines on the parquet floor in addition to the diminution of
the pictures of the Human Beings who were present at a distance.
He made brilliant use of the elements of line and virtue to give this illusion whereby the floor
was painted in an oblique manner. The process of drawing is known as ‘heightened
perspective”5.
Edgar Degas has put emphasis on the ballerina figure situated at the center whose sash
was being corrected by the ballet master. It gave the view of an emotional attachment of the
ballet master to the dancers and his primary objective of him teaching them the etiquettes of
2 "Edgar Degas The Dance Class – Kiama Art Gallery" 2019)
3 ("Edgar Degas | The Dance Class (1874) | Artsy" 2019)
4Metmuseum.Org, 2019
5 ("The Ballet Class, Edgar Degas: Analysis" 2019)

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THE DANCE CLASS OF DEGAS
dancing. One of the most unique features of this painting is its illusion of being a photography.
Degas wanted to create the idea of spontaneity to show that the painting is similar to being a
snapshot of a particular dance scene. Thus, the painting has a formal aspect attached to it.
The painting of “The Dance Class” of 1874 is considered to be modern in the sense that
included within itself all the techniques related to the contemporary form of art structure. The
strategic use of lines and the element of virtue to put emphasis only on the important objects
within the painting provides that Degas gave careful considerations while pursuing his work.
Furthermore, the use of Impressionism gives the idea that Degas was intended on giving a
modern aspect to his painting6. He sought to depict the world as it is instead of painting an ideal
image as found in the ancient forms of art work. One of the fascinating subjects for Degas to
paint was Ballerina at work, their training and rehearsal. In the following painting, the class was
about to finish, all the students were tired, stretching and twisting, adjusting their clothes, hair,
ribbon and not listening to their teacher Jules Perrot, who was a ballet master in real life. Degas
closely observed and depicted in his painting the most natural and spontaneous actions and
movement, the pauses, the exhaustion due to the hard practice. Thus degas painting is a mirrior
of modern life.
Thus, to conclude, it can be observed that the aspect of modernity and modernism is
found within the art work of Degas as panted by him. “The Dance Class” as painted by him,
depicts a dance studio whereby several ballerinas are being instructed by a ballet master. This
shows that Degas wanted to show the reality rather than painting a fictional image. The use of
6Meglin, Joellen A. "Degas' Magnificent Obsession: Degas and the Dance By Jill DeVonyar and Richard Kendall.
303 pp. Illustrated. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002. $49.94 cloth, ISBN 0-8109-3282-2." (2007): 507-517.

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THE DANCE CLASS OF DEGAS
Impressionism within this painting further reiterates the fact that Degas was convinced in
adhering to a movement which protested against the conventional forms of art work. “The Dance
Class” of 19874 can therefore be termed as one of the pioneering paintings of the modern art
work and the movement of Impressionism that began with it.

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References:
"Edgar Degas | The Dance Class (1874) | Artsy". 2019. Artsy.Net.
https://www.artsy.net/artwork/edgar-degas-the-dance-class.
"Edgar Degas The Dance Class – Kiama Art Gallery". 2019. Kiama Art Gallery.
https://kiamaartgallery.wordpress.com/tag/edgar-degas-the-dance-class/.
"The Ballet Class, Edgar Degas: Analysis". 2019. Visual-Arts-Cork.Com. http://www.visual-arts-
cork.com/paintings-analysis/ballet-class-degas.htm.
2019. Metmuseum.Org. https://www.metmuseum.org/en/art/collection/search/438817.
Battisti, Federica, and Chiara Di Stefano. "Virtual Reality meets Degas: an immersive
framework for art exploration and learning." In 2018 7th European Workshop on Visual
Information Processing (EUVIP), pp. 1-5. IEEE, 2018.
Meglin, Joellen A. "Degas' Magnificent Obsession: Degas and the Dance By Jill DeVonyar and
Richard Kendall. 303 pp. Illustrated. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002. $49.94 cloth, ISBN 0-
8109-3282-2." (2007): 507-517.