"La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans" ("Little Dancer of Fourteen Years")

I chose an artwork that I have always liked: Edgar Degas’s sculpture "La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans" ("Little Dancer of Fourteen Years"), c. 1881 because I think that it is beautiful work. I saw a photo of this artwork when I was young and I have remembered it since. I had never thought about why I like Degas’s sculpture but having taken this course I tried to look at why I like this work.

I personally like sculptures because the show the mark of the artist, you can imagine that this artist actually put their hands on this piece years ago. This of course reflects that artists and artistic talent are still very valued and admired. Degas sculpture of the dancer is also very unique in that it is a bronze sculpture but also has a cotton skirt and a hair ribbon. This seems like an old combination since bronze this thought to be very strong and unbreakable, but the use of the fabric softens the sculpture. This combination brings the strength and elegance that a dancer must contain when they perform. I also like that the pose of the dancer incorporates the strength and posture that a dancer holds, yet doesn’t show any movement that we are used to seeing in a dancer on stage. The dancer does not have the most beautiful face, according to some critics. But by not having the ideal face, I like it more since Degas was an impressionist painter he painted what he saw. It makes the art much more realistic, this of course touches on the subject that we are searching for the eternal truth and honesty in art.