{"product_id":"danseuse-en-rose-by-edgar-degas","title":"Danseuse en Rose by Edgar Degas","description":"Edgar Degas\u003cbr\u003e 1834-1917 | French \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eDanseuse en rose\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Stamp signed \"Degas\" (lower left)\u003cbr\u003e Pastel on canvas \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003e\"When you see his pastels…! When you think that he managed to achieve the tone of frescoes with a material so unpleasant to handle!\" —Pierre-Auguste Renoir on Degas\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Edgar Degas’ dancers require little by way of introduction—no artist better captured the fluid grace and ephemeral beauty of the ballet. This exceptionally rare pastel on canvas, titled \u003cem\u003eDanseuse en rose\u003c\/em\u003e, is among the most extraordinary the great artist ever painted—a masterpiece of grand scale, radiant beauty and iconic subject. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This extraordinary pastel hails from the height of Degas’ career, circa 1877-80. The opening of the Palais Garnier in 1875 transformed Parisian cultural life and offered the artist easy access to the world of performers. Degas soon became widely acclaimed, hailed as the definitive “painter of dancers.” This pivotal period for Degas also coincided with the meteoric rise of Rosita Mauri, the celebrated prima ballerina who is at the center of this pastel.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Rosita Mauri was the great star of the Paris Opéra at this time, admired not only for her technical brilliance but for her commanding stage presence, which Degas captured perfectly in \u003cem\u003eDanseuse en rose\u003c\/em\u003e. It is quite difficult to identify most dancers in Degas’ oeuvre, but Mauri was among the most famous and beloved ballerinas of her day. Similar pastels of Mauri on stage belong to prestigious museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Musée d’Orsay.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The monumental beauty of \u003cem\u003eDanseuse en rose\u003c\/em\u003e is breathtaking at every turn. Degas captured Mauri \u003cem\u003een pointe\u003c\/em\u003e, gracefully suspended between stillness and motion—a hallmark of the artist’s genius for rendering fluid motion. Her elaborate costume shimmers in harmony with the colorful stage scenery, creating a spontaneous symphony of energy and vibrancy. Her face is rendered with exceptionally delicate beauty—a rarity among Degas’ dancers, who he often portrayed under harsh, unflattering lights. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This wonderful work of art also has great scale—over three feet high—and is unique for being on canvas. The canvas allowed him to work much larger than his typical paper works and to achieve extraordinarily vivid colors and textures, which are still remarkably luminous almost 150 years later. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This work’s provenance further elevates its importance. Danseuse en rose remained with Degas and his family for almost 100 years, when it then entered one of the most storied private collections of the 20th century—that of the Maharani Sita Devi Gaekwar of Baroda. Known throughout international society for her extraordinary taste and connoisseurship, she was often referred to as the “Indian Wallis Simpson.” The Maharani assembled a remarkable group of Impressionist masterworks, of which this Degas was a clear highlight. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Given its provenance, beauty and rarity, \u003cem\u003eDanseuse en rose\u003c\/em\u003e is an undeniable masterpiece of Impressionism. Similar, but smaller, examples have gone for large sums at auction. These iconic works, however, hardly ever come to auction, as most of Degas' masterpiece ballerinas already reside in the world’s most prestigious museums, including the Musée d’Orsay, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MFA, Boston and many more. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Circa 1877-80 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Canvas: 36 5\/8” high x 28 3\/4” wide (93 x 73 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 44 3\/4” high x 37 1\/2” wide x 2 1\/2” deep (113.7 x 95.3 x 6.4 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/rau-sfimages.s3.amazonaws.com\/dossier\/Dossier_32-2603.pdf\" target=\"new\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eView the Dossier\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Collection of the artist\u003cbr\u003e Sale of the above, Atelier Edgar Degas, Galerie G. Petit, Paris, 2nd sale, December 11-13, 1918, lot 110\u003cbr\u003e Roland Nepveu-Degas (Degas’ nephew), 1918, purchased at the above sale\u003cbr\u003e S.A.R. the Maharani Seethadevi Gaekwar de Baroda\u003cbr\u003e Sale of the above, Palais Galliéra, Paris, November 30, 1961, lot 4\u003cbr\u003e Micheline Maus, Switzerland\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Geneva, acquired from the above in 2008\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Germany\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e Sale catalog, Atelier Edgar Degas, Galerie G. Petit, Paris, 2nd sale, December 11-13, 1918, no. 110, p. 61 (illustrated)\u003cbr\u003e Paul-André Lemoisne, \u003cem\u003eDegas et son œuvre\u003c\/em\u003e, Paris, 1946, vol. II, no. 468, p. 256-57 (illustrated)\u003cbr\u003e Sale catalog, Palais Galliéra, Paris, November 30, 1961, no. 4 (illustrated)\u003cbr\u003e Jacques Lassaigne, Fiorella Minervino, \u003cem\u003eTout l'oeuvre peint de Degas\u003c\/em\u003e, Paris, 1988, no. 539, p. 111 (illustrated) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibited:\u003cbr\u003e Paris, Galerie Charpentier, \u003cem\u003eDanse et Divertissement\u003c\/em\u003e, 1948-1949, no. 59 (as \u003cem\u003eDanseuse sur les pointes\u003c\/em\u003e)","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44567224582279,"sku":"32-2603","price":12500000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2603_1.png?v=1781709710","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/danseuse-en-rose-by-edgar-degas","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}