This was a fascinating read and I followed up with Julie Fiore's piece. I knew nothing of the dark backstory of ballet at that time.
This may be a stretch but it reminds me a bit of comparing early professional sports and players of today. Professional athletes were blue collar , low pay part time employees who had to find real jobs to support themselves once the short seasons were over. They were chattel who were at the whim of their owners and once signed had no choice in leaving for another team. They could be bought and sold but they had no say in it. No where near the rock star wealthy players of today. Times change.
Nice work - thanks for illuminating the ballerina situation. That first one illustrates your points exceptionally well: the flurry and large, light mass of the dancers apparently balancing the dark-clad stage master and older onlookers, evoking the subtle tension that, based on your info, was undoubtedly in the air. Unlike many esteemed members of the artistic pantheon, Monsieur D has grown on me over time. Part of that is based on my undergrad recollection of stumbling on some late landscape prints that drive right up to the doorstep of color-field abstraction. More recently I was lucky to see a very interesting show (last Xmas season) at the Met that paired him with his pal Manet - a real treat for a LoCali philistine such as myself. It’s important to preserve a warts-&-all account of our predecessors, and it’s understandable why his antisemitism and sourness weigh on his reputation. But it’s also a relief that you have the capacity to see past all that. The best thing that he left behind was not the dour ghost of his crusty personality but images whose most unique and valuable qualities point us toward a beauty beyond the embodied, physical boundaries of what he shows us. He may have had mixed feelings about women but they were clearly integral to his achievement.
Really enjoyed this, Nicole. I remember when I first got interested in Degas' art, I had no idea about the controversy of anti-Semitism or any of those slightly more unpleasant sides to his personality. So obviously, in learning more about that over the years, it has shaped my thoughts on him sometimes.
But I really appreciate how you manage to present him here in such a balanced way (for the good and the bad). And I guess he is another prime example of that famous quandaries of whether we should "judge the art, not the man".
p.s also found it really interesting to read about the Ballet in general, and how being a ballerina then was more of a working class field.
Thank you so much! Yes, I think this gets to the heart of evaluating historical figures. My philosophy is not to obscure the unsavory bits but to keep the good and the bad and let readers understand for themselves. And the ballet world of the 19th century is so fascinating - I’m thinking it may be worth profiling a famous dancer
Nicole, it's Marco here. Thank you for this thoughtful illuminating portrait of an artist that I've always felt a personal connection with. Growing up we had an unsigned but very convincing copy of 'Ballet' (which you feature), hanging on our staircase wall.
Thank you so much! I had a print of ‘Ballet’ as a kid; I always thought it was the dreamiest image. Happy to hear you still have your painting in the family
Thank you for this great article Nicole. Loved reading it.
I also didn’t know about Degas and his antisemitism. Surprisingly, it wasn’t mentioned by my lecturers at the time we studied it, maybe I should have tried to find out more in books.
This was a fascinating read and I followed up with Julie Fiore's piece. I knew nothing of the dark backstory of ballet at that time.
This may be a stretch but it reminds me a bit of comparing early professional sports and players of today. Professional athletes were blue collar , low pay part time employees who had to find real jobs to support themselves once the short seasons were over. They were chattel who were at the whim of their owners and once signed had no choice in leaving for another team. They could be bought and sold but they had no say in it. No where near the rock star wealthy players of today. Times change.
That's so interesting! I know very little about sports but it doesn't surprise me that they were paid very little in the beginning.
Brava! I also love the ballet and have a Degas keychain on my keys. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you so much, Tiffany! ❤️
Nice work - thanks for illuminating the ballerina situation. That first one illustrates your points exceptionally well: the flurry and large, light mass of the dancers apparently balancing the dark-clad stage master and older onlookers, evoking the subtle tension that, based on your info, was undoubtedly in the air. Unlike many esteemed members of the artistic pantheon, Monsieur D has grown on me over time. Part of that is based on my undergrad recollection of stumbling on some late landscape prints that drive right up to the doorstep of color-field abstraction. More recently I was lucky to see a very interesting show (last Xmas season) at the Met that paired him with his pal Manet - a real treat for a LoCali philistine such as myself. It’s important to preserve a warts-&-all account of our predecessors, and it’s understandable why his antisemitism and sourness weigh on his reputation. But it’s also a relief that you have the capacity to see past all that. The best thing that he left behind was not the dour ghost of his crusty personality but images whose most unique and valuable qualities point us toward a beauty beyond the embodied, physical boundaries of what he shows us. He may have had mixed feelings about women but they were clearly integral to his achievement.
Thank you for these kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed the piece and that you had the opportunity to see that exhibit at the Met - it sounds fantastic!
Really enjoyed this, Nicole. I remember when I first got interested in Degas' art, I had no idea about the controversy of anti-Semitism or any of those slightly more unpleasant sides to his personality. So obviously, in learning more about that over the years, it has shaped my thoughts on him sometimes.
But I really appreciate how you manage to present him here in such a balanced way (for the good and the bad). And I guess he is another prime example of that famous quandaries of whether we should "judge the art, not the man".
p.s also found it really interesting to read about the Ballet in general, and how being a ballerina then was more of a working class field.
Thank you so much! Yes, I think this gets to the heart of evaluating historical figures. My philosophy is not to obscure the unsavory bits but to keep the good and the bad and let readers understand for themselves. And the ballet world of the 19th century is so fascinating - I’m thinking it may be worth profiling a famous dancer
Nicole, it's Marco here. Thank you for this thoughtful illuminating portrait of an artist that I've always felt a personal connection with. Growing up we had an unsigned but very convincing copy of 'Ballet' (which you feature), hanging on our staircase wall.
It is still in the family.
Thank you so much! I had a print of ‘Ballet’ as a kid; I always thought it was the dreamiest image. Happy to hear you still have your painting in the family
Thank you for this great article Nicole. Loved reading it.
I also didn’t know about Degas and his antisemitism. Surprisingly, it wasn’t mentioned by my lecturers at the time we studied it, maybe I should have tried to find out more in books.