2025 Poster Session

Dancing with Degas


Degas’ paintings of ballerinas instantly recognizable and are widely loved around the world. The question remains, how did the artist intend them to look? The Impressionists were the radical avant-garde artists of their day. They were breaking with the traditional academic methods of painting and experimenting with entirely new ways of presenting the world. It is well documented that many of these painters and the artists that followed did not want their paintings varnished. Varnish saturates the colors making them appear darker and can change the balance of contrast and tonal relationships. Early on, dealers often had these works varnished and put them in ornate gold frames to make them more saleable. Over time as these works grew in popularity and value they were exposed to cycles of treatment, which often including cleaning and varnishing.
This paper will present the study and analysis of Degas’ materials and techniques used in the Dancer with Bouquets from the Chrysler Museum Collection It is a large, late work and remained with the artist throughout his life. Technical analysis carried out included infrared examination, x- radiography and cross-sectional analysis. The modern varnish was removed and afterwards the painting was examined by a variety of scholars and conservators to re-evaluate the work in an attempt to determine what effect the artist was attempting to achieve as he pushed the boundaries of modern art.  Degas also designed frames for his works which were often quite simple and modern. Using his own design, a new reproduction frame was fabricated to better match the artist’s intention.