Yellow Dancers (In the Wings)

1874–76

Edgar Degas first painted dancers as an independent subject in 1871. He would go on to devote almost half his output as an artist to this subject, observing countless performances and rehearsals at the Paris Opéra. Here, he placed the viewer in the wings, as if among the elite opera subscribers who paid for the privilege to roam and socialize backstage.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917)

Date

1874–76

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

73.5 × 59.5 cm (28 15/16 × 23 7/16 in.); Framed: 91.5 × 78.2 × 7 cm (36 × 30 3/4 × 2 3/4 in.)

Origin

France

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Palmer, Mrs. Bertha P. Thorne, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Wood, and Mrs. Rose M. Palmer