| 
|  | Little Dancer of Fourteen Years
c.1880, cast c.1920
| Edgar Degas
French, 1834–1917
| bronze, gauze, and satin
| M / 28
| 38 1/2 x 16 1/4 x 13 3/4 in. (97.8 x 41.3 x 34.9 cm)
| Funds given by Mrs. Mark C. Steinberg
| Accession Number: 135:1956
| On view in Gallery 218
| | Place made:
Paris,
France | | The model for this sculpture was Marie van Goethen, a young ballet student at the Paris Opéra. When the original version of this sculpture (made of wax, and now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC) was exhibited at the 1881 Impressionist exhibition, it was criticized for its unprecedented realism and was even considered ugly. In addition, many people found the mundane subject matter and unusual combination of materials-including real clothes-unsuitable for a work of art. It was the only sculpture exhibited by Degas in his lifetime.
| Signed:
on base, on top surface, at back left, incised: Degas
on base, on top surface, at back left, stamped in metal: CIRE / PERDUE / A A HEBRARD [with "MLE" along the left margin of the stamp]
| Provenance:
c.1920 -
A. A. Hébrard, Paris, France [1]
- 1957
M. Knoedler & Co., New York, NY, USA [2]
1957 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from M. Knoedler & Co. [3]
Notes:
[1] A. A. Hébrard had an arrangement with Degas's heirs to oversee the posthumous casting of Degas's sculptures, including "Little Dancer of Fourteen Years," into bronze. The arrangement involved making casts for Hébrard himself, for the heirs, and another set for sale [Millard, Charles W. "The Sculpture of Edgard Degas." Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976].
[2] Invoice from M. Knoedler & Co. dated January 3, 1957 [SLAM document files].
[3] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control and the Advisory Committee of the City Art Museum, December 13, 1956. |
Alternate Title(s):
Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans
Ballet Dancer
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen
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