Edgar Degas - Two Dancers in Their Dressing Room 1880

Two Dancers in Their Dressing Room 1880
Two Dancers in Their Dressing Room
1880 48x64cm pastel/paper
National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square West, Dublin

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From National Gallery of Ireland:
Observed from a high viewpoint, this scene depicts two ballerinas in a dressing room. Their white dresses, tied with blue sashes, are those typically worn by dancers in Degas’s rehearsal scenes. The dancer on the left adjusts her costume while her companion leans upon a chair, snatching a moment’s rest. A selection of costumes hang in the background forming a backdrop to the scene. A wash bowl and the cut-off forms of a jug and goblet rest upon a table. The space is cramped and functional, an intimate enclosure designed for quick changes rather than relaxation.