Dancer

The present study from the Krebs collection shows the dancer in a white tatu, with her elbows out and forward. It is astonishing that with essentially the same movement, Degas could express such different feelings, whether the ballerina's fatigue (yawning, thrusting her hands behind her head), or the fastidious adjustment of her costume or hairdo, or the urgent motion of the dance itself. The rich potential of such transformations was significant, tempting Degas to keep returning to them.