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Three Dancers
c. 1872-1874
Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917)
Not on View

Degas constantly experimented with his materials. In the medium used here, "peinture à l'essence," the artist leaches the excess oil from the oil paints with blotting paper and thins the paint with turpentine, in order to achieve a dry, delicate surface.

Three Dancers
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Details

  • Artist Name: Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917)
  • Title: Three Dancers
  • Date: c. 1872-1874
  • Medium: Essence and gouache on wove paper, mounted on silk
  • Dimensions: 18-1/4 x 24-1/2 in. (46.4 x 62.2 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
  • Accession Number: F.1969.35.1.P
  • Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation

Object Information

Edgar Degas Estate, Paris (sale, Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, 7 April 1919, lot 11, ill., as Le ballet (trois danseuses), to);
R. Davis.
Jacques-Michel de Zoubaloff, Paris (1879-1955) (sale, Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, 17 June 1927, lot 115, ill., as Leçon de Danse ou Répétition, to);
[Diéterle, Paris].
Albert Sancholle Henraux (1891-1953), Paris, by 1946.
Private Collection (sale, London, Sotheby's, 29 April 1964, lot 33, color ill., as Le BalletBTrois Danseuses (Leçon de Danse), to);
[Ferber & Maison, London].
[Paul Rosenberg & Co., New York; stock no. 6101, as Le BalletBTrois Danseuses (Leçon de Danse); sold 29 August 1969 to];
The Norton Simon Foundation.

[on loan]

  • Phoenix Art Museum, 1969-11-10 to 1970-02-19

[on loan]

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1970-02-20 to 1973-03-14

Three Centuries of French Art: Selections from The Norton Simon, Inc. Museum of Art and The Norton Simon Foundation_1

  • California Palace of the Legion of Honor, 1973-05-03 to 1976-06-15

Redesigned Degas Galleries

  • Norton Simon Museum, 1995-05-04 to 1997-06-01

Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2017-11-09 to 2018-04-09
  • Lemoisne, Paul-André, Degas et son oeuvre, no. 332
  • The French Impressionists in Southern California: Paintings, Sculptures and Prints in Public Collections. A Guidebook and Catalogue, 1984,
  • Masterpieces from the Norton Simon Museum, 1989, p. 143
  • Dye, Sean, The Mixed-Media Sourcebook, 2004, p. 93
  • Campbell, Sara et al., Degas in the Norton Simon Museum, 2009, Fig. 4 pp. 15, 91
  • Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 686 p. 327
  • Michel Schulman, Degas Catalogue Raisonné Online, 2021, MS-225

Additional Artwork by Artist

Arabesque over the right leg, left arm in front Edgar Degas Modeled c. 1882-95; cast 1919-21
Arabesque over the right leg, left arm in line Edgar Degas Modeled 1885-90; cast 1919-21
Arabesque over the right leg, right hand near the ground, left arm outstretched (First arabesque penchée) Edgar Degas Modeled 1885-90; cast 1919-21
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