DC Art: Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Degas

French Impressionist Edgar Degas (1834-1917) is known for his paintings of ballet dancers. He also made many sculptures, but only exhibited this one, Little Dancer of Fourteen Years, in his lifetime. It was shown at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in 1881. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC has the original of this sculpture. Degas used yellow wax, hair, ribbon, a linen bodice, satin shoes, a muslin tutu and a wood base to create the sculpture. The photo on the top right is of the original wax sculpture. The other two photos are of a plaster copy, also in the National Gallery. Ballet student Marie van Goethem was the model for the sculpture.