Fan Mount: The Ballet

1879
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 816

Painted in monochrome on a black ground, this fan evokes the metallic luster of Japanese lacquers. The stage, to the left, is sprinkled with silver powder and painted with thin washes of tin, and the dancers are outlined in a gold-colored paint that is actually made from brass powder. The main figure at center right appears in The Met's version of the painting The Dance Class (1987.47.1), performing an arabesque for her instructor.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Fan Mount: The Ballet
  • Artist: Edgar Degas (French, Paris 1834–1917 Paris)
  • Date: 1879
  • Medium: Watercolor and metallic paint on silk
  • Dimensions: 6 1/8 x 21 1/4 in. (15.6 x 54 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.100.554
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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