Degas

I know that he, in reality, hated ballerinas. That just goes to show you how little a person’s actual views on things has to do with the art that he makes.

There’s a beautiful mixture of practicality and fantasy in these paintings. Ballet dancers work hard, man, and most of what they do to maintain their art is tedious (ya ever take a ballet class? Imagine doing that twice a day for 18 years) – but then what they end up creating (if it’s good) is something that looks easy, effortless.

It’s like a dream, these paintings. I have a Degas sketch on the wall in my bathroom – it’s a drawing, an outline really, of a naked woman dancing, her back arched. But it’s all one line – he never takes his pencil up off the page.

Beautiful.

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13 Responses to Degas

  1. Jayne says:

    ooh – thank you for posting this – happy place for me, too.

  2. Emily says:

    I have that picture hanging on my wall. Oh dear. Must not get started on Degas. I cannot unlock that old obsession. One freakish obsession at a time, please.

    That man has probably painted the human body in every position imaginable. The way he can capture movement in one single moment is incredible.

  3. red says:

    Emily – I didn’t know you were a Degas fan! For some reason, this one really calls to me. I think I like it cause it’s rehearsal – the dude with the cane, traffic-directing – the sense of random preparation, tying ballet shoes, etc.

  4. red says:

    Oh and speaking of two obsessions going at the same time and the confusion of that situation …

    the other night I was watching my new Frank, Dean and Sammy DVD … and there’s a section where they all do different imitations of actors – Cagney, Clark Gable, etc. And at one point, Dean Martin did a KICK-ASS Cary Grant.

    I thought my head might explode.

  5. amelie / rae says:

    now, if that had been a Dean Martin impersonation of Cary Grant talking about the greatness of Alexander Hamilton… you’d have died happy, yeah?

  6. DirtCrashr says:

    If that were a photograph you’d say it was taken from the balcony or lodge, and he was beginning to be forced into competition with photographers, but they had poor lighting equipment and probably would set the place on fire, always a big danger in Theater.

  7. Hank says:

    Dean Martin impersonating Cary Grant??
    And doing it well??

    I’m gobsmacked.

    Hank

  8. I love it!!

    You reminded me of one of my happy places, except its not Degas.

    Kay Nielsen – Art Nouveau illustrator

    (Id use trackbacks but its still disabled!!)

  9. red says:

    Sharon – I just haven’t had time to figure out what the HECK is going on with the trackbacks – I need to upgrade or some such nonsense, but I’m too busy right now.

    But FIRST – I have to say: oh. my. God. those images you’ve posted. I’ve never heard of that artist. Franklly I’m blown away.

    I MUST own that second one. It calls to me. WOW!!!!!

  10. click on the link underneath the first picture…theres more!!

    I have found the pics on eBay…

  11. red says:

    Sharon –

    Oh my God – heaven.

    http://www.artpassions.net/cgi-bin/show_image.pl?../galleries/nielsen/bgiant2.jpg

    This one calls to me. I am clicking around in that site like a maniac!!

  12. Harriet says:

    Oh, lovely. I have another rehearsal painting of his on my bedroom wall back home. It was just an old unframed print on a cardboard backing that was my mom’s or my aunt’s or something, but when I was doing my room in 8th grade I got it framed with a matting that really brought out the colors and it looks so beautiful. I took ballet from kindergarten until I graduated from high school, and I really miss it, so I love to look at all these wonderful works of Degas and reminisce.

  13. red says:

    My gym discontinued their ballet classes … I wish they’d start them up again. I mean, it was ridiculous – I’d take ballet class in the middle of the theatre district (Times Square – which is where I usually go to the gym) – and so of course – it’s all freakin’ Broadway dancers who go to that gym. And me. I was the shlump in the sweat pants trying to do an arabesque.

    But still – it was a rigorous and strangely abstract workout. I really enjoyed it.

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