Degas four dancers analysis

The captivating presence of Four Dancers can only be achieved through the gentle technique of renowned French painter Edgar Degas.

Degas however decided to use the front end of the pastels in linear strokes to illustrate the bodies of the ballerinas and does not go in to blend after. The messy style of Baroque is founded in these altered strokes in order to create clear distinctions between different areas of the art.

Nothing is more surprising than this final burst of romantic force in a man who had coolly spent most of his life in a search for classical perfection. No longer are outlines and contours stressed; Degas goes back to the deep, sonorous colors of the Venetians, rather than to the Florentine draftsmen whom he earlier loved.

He now used coat after coat of colored chalk, moistening them and piling up one surface on a nother until these works take on something of the quality of miniature frescoes. This was a strategic act on behalf of Degas as to create two different textures allowed for the artist to break the canvas up.

Four Dancers, 1903 by Edgar Degas

Many of Degas' late works in pastel are more painted than drawn.

Yet, while this remained as the most prominent analysis for Edgar Degas's work, it is evident that a high majority of his paintings showcasing ballerina are of their reversing their dance.

Such a pastel with its rich, brooding color expresses a new, passionate feeling in the artist. The ballerina at the front has her body faced towards the viewer yet looks to the floor as her arm gently sweeps her shoulder.

Three other ballerinas align behind her as they open their bodies in dance. As the artist was mystified by the immense beauty of ballerinas, they remained as one of the main focal points of many of Degas's work.

The artist commonly painted the ballerina's backstage before a recital to capture the candid form they were in.

Four Dancers, one of the largest and most ambitious of his late works, exists in several variants that show different kinds and degrees of modification. Alongside, the burgundy brown shades of the ballerina's hair upsets the colour schedule of the painting even more as it does not align with one another. Yet, the viewer is able to witness that Degas attempted to colour the bottom of the ballerina's skirts in a blue and green colour as the shades blend into one another allowing for harsh lines to diapers.

As those who are familiar with the texture of pastels, they are incredibly easily able to blend into one another.

As an artist who is well known for his painterly style, veering away from classic traditionalism, Degas worked to incorporate as much action within his work as possible.

The medium of the painting is pastel. Yet, these tones do not follow a specific colour scheme as rather Degas mixes opposites colours together such as red and green.

The artist continues to blend different shades amongst one another through the background of the painting as the peachy yellow background is accentuated by circular spots of blue and green.

The Four Dancers showcases Degas's innovative styles using different tools to highlight his artistic abilities and precise characteristics within his work.