Degas and the Dance
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Overview
"Known in his lifetime as "the painter of dancers," Edgar Degas has long been recognized as the foremost artist of the ballet. More than half of his vast body of work - created over five decades and in all media at his command - is devoted to the activities of dancers, both on and off the stage." "Surprisingly, there has never been a comprehensive study of Degas' ballet work in its historical context. Now, in Degas and the Dance, Richard Kendall and Jill DeVoynar place the artist and his work against the backdrop of the Paris Opera, home of the national ballet company. Degas has always been thought of as somewhat detached from the day-to-day life of the dancers he depicted. Kendall and DeVoynar's new research, especially in the Opera archives, reveals that the artist was far more informed about the ballet than has previously been imagined. To an extraordinary extent, Degas' artistic ambitions developed under the roof of the Opera, and his achievements as an artist cannot be wholly grapsed without reference to it." Degas and the Dance illuminates the world of nineteenth-century ballet and the life of a great artist who was obsessed by his subject. Admirers of dance and of art will be fascinated by this interdisciplinary study. The text and illustrations range across a variety of fascinating topics, including Degas' predecessors and contemporaries, the ballerinas he knew, the nature of classroom training, and the ballet repertoire in his day.Synopsis
"Known in his lifetime as "the painter of dancers," Edgar Degas has long been recognized as the foremost artist of the ballet. More than half of his vast body of work - created over five decades and in all media at his command - is devoted to the activities of dancers, both on and off the stage." "Surprisingly, there has never been a comprehensive study of Degas' ballet work in its historical context. Now, in Degas and the Dance, Richard Kendall and Jill DeVoynar place the artist and his work against the backdrop of the Paris Opera, home of the national ballet company. Degas has always been thought of as somewhat detached from the day-to-day life of the dancers he depicted. Kendall and DeVoynar's new research, especially in the Opera archives, reveals that the artist was far more informed about the ballet than has previously been imagined. To an extraordinary extent, Degas' artistic ambitions developed under the roof of the Opera, and his achievements as an artist cannot be wholly grapsed without reference to it." Degas and the Dance illuminates the world of nineteenth-century ballet and the life of a great artist who was obsessed by his subject. Admirers of dance and of art will be fascinated by this interdisciplinary study. The text and illustrations range across a variety of fascinating topics, including Degas' predecessors and contemporaries, the ballerinas he knew, the nature of classroom training, and the ballet repertoire in his day.
Library Journal
Obsessed by the dance world, Edgar Degas (1834-1917) sketched, painted, and sculpted dancers for nearly 50 years. This catalog, an irresistible combination of dance, art, and scholarship, accompanies an exhibition in Detroit (until January 2003) and Philadelphia (February 12-May 11) that is destined for surefire success. Beyond the gorgeous reproductions of 144 paintings, drawings, and sculptures, eight original and probing essays delve into the artist's working methods backstage sur la sc ne at the Paris Op ra and the evolution of his prolific dance oeuvre. Written by curator and former dancer DeVonyar and noted Degas scholar Kendall, the text is detailed and illuminating. Historic photographs of dancers, rehearsals, ballet masters, theaters, sets, and costumes are used liberally to connect period dance culture to the art. Visually exciting and ambitious in scale and focus, this is an essential purchase for academics, museums, and most public libraries.-Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.