NARRATOR:
Imagine a line running from the lower left corner to the upper right, dividing this pastel into two parts. Edgar Degas placed the figures in the upper left half, leaving the lower right part almost empty. Degas often made good use of negative space. Here, it emphasizes the stillness of the scene—and perhaps the boredom felt by the dancer and her chaperone. The vacant space also sets up a number of contrasts that add layers of interest to the composition. The drab, Spartan room is in keeping with the severe black clothing of the figure on the right. But it makes the dancer’s pink tights, satin ribbons and filmy tutu appear even more elegant and ethereal in comparison. Similarly, the softly blended earth tones of the floor boards and wall set off Degas’ vibrant pastel strokes on the luminous figure of the dancer.
The figures present intriguing contrasts, too. Though both women lean forward, resting, the chaperone’s back is straight, with her hands properly crossed at the wrist. She passes the time by tracing the seams of the floor boards with the tip of her umbrella. The dancer, however, rounds her back, folding over onto herself. In touch with her own physicality, she massages her left ankle. Degas’ insightful details and careful arrangement of figures and space gives this simple, quiet scene a complexity that rewards extended looking.
Waiting
c. 1879-1882
Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917)
Not on View
With its raking composition and abrupt contrast of black and white, this picture grants us a glimpse backstage at the Paris Opéra without revealing any clear, coherent narrative. The two figures, each apparently absorbed in her own thoughts, may represent a young dancer and her chaperone or, indeed, one dancer dressed for rehearsal and another in street clothes. Only their shared sense of exhaustion and anxiety is clear—suggesting, perhaps, the anticipation or aftermath of an examination. Degas, as no artist before or since, took a keen interest in the physical routine of ballet dancers’ lives, the labor behind their art. At the Opéra, examinations played an important role in this routine, determining dancers’ salaries and professional advancement.
Details
- Artist Name: Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917)
- Title: Waiting
- Date: c. 1879-1882
- Culture: French
- Medium: Pastel on beige laid paper
- Dimensions: 19 x 24 in. (48.2 x 61 cm)
- Credit Line: Jointly owned by the Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena and The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Accession Number: M.1983.1.P
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
Léon-Marie Clapisson, Paris, before 1882, sold for frf. 6000 on 21 April 1892 to;
[Galerie Durand Ruel, Paris (stock number 2124), sold for f. 15,000 on 19 September 1895 to];
H. O. and Louisine Havemeyer, New York, until 1907;
Louisine Havemeyer, New York, 1907-1929, by descent to her son;
Horace Havemeyer, New York, 1929-1956, by descent to his widow;
Doris Dick Havemeyer, New York, 1956-1982 (sale, New York, Sotheby’s, 18 May 1983, lot 8, to);
Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena, and The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (JPG #83.GG.219).
[Galerie Durand Ruel, Paris (stock number 2124), sold for f. 15,000 on 19 September 1895 to];
H. O. and Louisine Havemeyer, New York, until 1907;
Louisine Havemeyer, New York, 1907-1929, by descent to her son;
Horace Havemeyer, New York, 1929-1956, by descent to his widow;
Doris Dick Havemeyer, New York, 1956-1982 (sale, New York, Sotheby’s, 18 May 1983, lot 8, to);
Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena, and The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (JPG #83.GG.219).
Masterpieces by Old and Modern Painters
- New York, M. Knoedler & Co., 1915-04-06 to 1915-04-24
Degas 1834-1917
- Pennsylvania Museum of Art, 1936-11-07 to 1936-12-07
Degas at the Getty
- J. Paul Getty Museum, 2006-03-07 to 2006-06-11
Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor
- Norton Simon Museum, 2017-11-09 to 2018-04-09
Schacherl, Lillian, Edgar Degas: Dancers and Nudes, pp. 30, 123
Frederickson, Burton, The Burlington Magazine, fig. 107 p. 268
Lipton, Eunice, Looking into Degas: Uneasy Images of Women and Modern Life, fig. 61 pp. 102-103
Heilbrun, F., Degas inédit. Actes du Colloque Degas, p. 177
Russoli, Franco; and Fiorella Minervino, L'opera completa di Degas, no. 778 p. 122
Hoving, Thomas, The Connoisseur, p. 11
Duret-Robert, F., Connaissance des Arts, pp. 68-69
Bouret, J., Degas, p. 212
Cabanne, Pierre, Edgar Degas, pl. 96 pp. 99, 108, 134
Rich, Daniel C., Edgar-Hilaire-Germain Degas, pp. 19, 98, 99
Rewald, John, Edgar Degas, no. 2
Mauclair, Camille, Degas, no. 117, pl. 177
Rivière, Georges, Degas, p. 85
Vollard, Ambroise, Degas: An Intimate Portrait, p. 103
Jamot, Paul, Degas, pl. 58b p. 151
L'Art et les Artistes, p. 322
Lafond, Paul, Degas, pp. 30, 36
Moore, G., Kunst und Künstler, p. 145
Vollard, Amboise, Degas, p. 113
Revue de l'Art, p. 389
Lecomte, G., L'Art et les Artistes, p. 26
Keller, Horst, Edgar Degas, fig. 104
King, Pauline, The House Beautiful, p. 5
Alexandre, Arsène, La Renaissance de l'Art Français, p. 483
The H. O. Havemeyer Collection: catalogue of paintngs, prints, sculptures, and works of Art, pp. 382-383
Geffroy, Gustave, L'Art et les Artistes, p. 16
Nicodemi, Giorgio, Il pittore, i cavalli e le ballerine, opp. p. 96
Lemoisne, Paul-André, Degas et son oeuvre, no. 698 pp. 115, 150, 395
Browse, Lillian, Degas Dancers, no. 71 p. 362
Havemeyer, Louisine, Sixteen to Sixty: Memoirs of a Collector, pp. 246, 258
Clark, Kenneth, The Romantic Rebellion: Romantic versus Classic Art, p. 320
Art at Auction: The Year at Sotheby's 1982-1983, fig. 5 pp. 11, 100
The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal, pp. 314-315
Wilson, William, California Museums, p. 176
Norton, Thomas E., 100 Years of Collecting in America: The Story of Sotheby Parke-Bernet, p. 223
McMullen, Roy, Degas: His Life, Times, and Work, pp. 367, 472
Degas: Form and Space, fig. 132 p. 132
Vollard, Amboise, Degas: An Intimate Portrait, p. 27
The Impressionist Revolution, pp. 205, 261
Weitzenhoffer, Frances, The Havemeyers: Impressionism Comes to America, pp. 95, 107
Kendall, Richard, Degas by Himself, p. 206
Herbert, Robert, Impressionism: Art, Leisure and Parisian Society, fig. 120 pp. 118, 199
Fredericksen, Burton, Masterpieces of Painting in the J. Paul Getty Museum, no. 44
Boggs, Jean Sutherland, Degas inédit. Actes du Colloque Degas, p. 42
Florin, L., Art, pp. 40-41
Masterpieces from the Norton Simon Museum, p. 146
Bentley, T., Art & Antiques, p. 75
Wold, G., Splendid Legacy: The Havemeyer Collection, no. 237
Meyer, S., First Impressions: Edgar Degas, pp. 67-68, 91
Thomson, Richard, Edgar Degas: Waiting,
Distel, Anne, Renoir's Portraits, Impressions of an Age, p. 349
The Museums of the World, p. 14
Rubin, Susan Goldman, Degas and the Dance, p. 23
Dumas, Ann, and others, Degas e gli italiani a Parigi, fig. 24 pp. 50-51
Campbell, Sara et al., Degas in the Norton Simon Museum, Fig. 20 p. 172
Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, cat. 1704 p. 437
Lord Hindlip, An Auctioneer's Lot, Triumphs and Disasters at Christie's and Beyond, p. 124 ; p. 125 (ill.)
Michel Schulman, Degas Catalogue Raisonné Online, MS-156
Frederickson, Burton, The Burlington Magazine, fig. 107 p. 268
Lipton, Eunice, Looking into Degas: Uneasy Images of Women and Modern Life, fig. 61 pp. 102-103
Heilbrun, F., Degas inédit. Actes du Colloque Degas, p. 177
Russoli, Franco; and Fiorella Minervino, L'opera completa di Degas, no. 778 p. 122
Hoving, Thomas, The Connoisseur, p. 11
Duret-Robert, F., Connaissance des Arts, pp. 68-69
Bouret, J., Degas, p. 212
Cabanne, Pierre, Edgar Degas, pl. 96 pp. 99, 108, 134
Rich, Daniel C., Edgar-Hilaire-Germain Degas, pp. 19, 98, 99
Rewald, John, Edgar Degas, no. 2
Mauclair, Camille, Degas, no. 117, pl. 177
Rivière, Georges, Degas, p. 85
Vollard, Ambroise, Degas: An Intimate Portrait, p. 103
Jamot, Paul, Degas, pl. 58b p. 151
L'Art et les Artistes, p. 322
Lafond, Paul, Degas, pp. 30, 36
Moore, G., Kunst und Künstler, p. 145
Vollard, Amboise, Degas, p. 113
Revue de l'Art, p. 389
Lecomte, G., L'Art et les Artistes, p. 26
Keller, Horst, Edgar Degas, fig. 104
King, Pauline, The House Beautiful, p. 5
Alexandre, Arsène, La Renaissance de l'Art Français, p. 483
The H. O. Havemeyer Collection: catalogue of paintngs, prints, sculptures, and works of Art, pp. 382-383
Geffroy, Gustave, L'Art et les Artistes, p. 16
Nicodemi, Giorgio, Il pittore, i cavalli e le ballerine, opp. p. 96
Lemoisne, Paul-André, Degas et son oeuvre, no. 698 pp. 115, 150, 395
Browse, Lillian, Degas Dancers, no. 71 p. 362
Havemeyer, Louisine, Sixteen to Sixty: Memoirs of a Collector, pp. 246, 258
Clark, Kenneth, The Romantic Rebellion: Romantic versus Classic Art, p. 320
Art at Auction: The Year at Sotheby's 1982-1983, fig. 5 pp. 11, 100
The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal, pp. 314-315
Wilson, William, California Museums, p. 176
Norton, Thomas E., 100 Years of Collecting in America: The Story of Sotheby Parke-Bernet, p. 223
McMullen, Roy, Degas: His Life, Times, and Work, pp. 367, 472
Degas: Form and Space, fig. 132 p. 132
Vollard, Amboise, Degas: An Intimate Portrait, p. 27
The Impressionist Revolution, pp. 205, 261
Weitzenhoffer, Frances, The Havemeyers: Impressionism Comes to America, pp. 95, 107
Kendall, Richard, Degas by Himself, p. 206
Herbert, Robert, Impressionism: Art, Leisure and Parisian Society, fig. 120 pp. 118, 199
Fredericksen, Burton, Masterpieces of Painting in the J. Paul Getty Museum, no. 44
Boggs, Jean Sutherland, Degas inédit. Actes du Colloque Degas, p. 42
Florin, L., Art, pp. 40-41
Masterpieces from the Norton Simon Museum, p. 146
Bentley, T., Art & Antiques, p. 75
Wold, G., Splendid Legacy: The Havemeyer Collection, no. 237
Meyer, S., First Impressions: Edgar Degas, pp. 67-68, 91
Thomson, Richard, Edgar Degas: Waiting,
Distel, Anne, Renoir's Portraits, Impressions of an Age, p. 349
The Museums of the World, p. 14
Rubin, Susan Goldman, Degas and the Dance, p. 23
Dumas, Ann, and others, Degas e gli italiani a Parigi, fig. 24 pp. 50-51
Campbell, Sara et al., Degas in the Norton Simon Museum, Fig. 20 p. 172
Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, cat. 1704 p. 437
Lord Hindlip, An Auctioneer's Lot, Triumphs and Disasters at Christie's and Beyond, p. 124 ; p. 125 (ill.)
Michel Schulman, Degas Catalogue Raisonné Online, MS-156
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