Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas

This sculpture by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas is called Little Dancer of Fourteen Years (1880; cast 1920). The taut contours of the small bronze figure convey the nervous discipline of a young dancer. The position of her arms, drawn straight down and clasped behind her back, articulates the fragile bones of her chest and shoulders; the forward thrust of her head strains her facial features. Blurring the line between rendering and reality, Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas gave this dancer a real costume made of gauze and tied her braid with a satin ribbon.

Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Hilaire-Germain- Edgar Degas is a bronze, gauze, and satin sculpture (38-7/16 inches high) on display at The Saint Louis Art Museum.

The next Impressionist work by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas is The Tub, a nude that was quite revolutionary in its composition.

For more on Impressionist paintings, artists, and art history, see:

• Impressionism
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet