Fan Mount: The Ballet

Fan Mount: The Ballet is an elegant 1879 work by Edgar Degas, created using watercolor and metallic paint applied to silk. Classified as a drawing, this delicate piece exemplifies Degas’s enduring dedication to capturing the intimate world of the Parisian ballet. The work is currently housed in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met).

Degas was famously drawn to the subject of dancing, making the complex lives of the young women who dedicated themselves to the ballet one of the primary themes throughout his career. This piece, executed in the fan mount format, required a distinct compositional approach, utilizing the curved silk surface to arrange the figures. Here, several dancers are shown either backstage or practicing, their flowing tulle costumes rendered through light, feathery strokes characteristic of watercolor. The inclusion of metallic paint highlights the subtle shimmer of the dancers’ attire, perhaps intended to reflect ambient light when the fan was in active use.

This artwork’s format reflects the popularity of decorative objects in late 19th-century France and the simultaneous influence of Japanese art on Parisian painters. Degas often chose to explore movement and unguarded, candid moments rather than formal poses, a characteristic that defines this piece. The focus on preparatory activity highlights the artist’s interest in the rigorous labor that underscored the glamour of performance. While the original is a fragile museum piece, the work remains highly studied, and high-quality prints and references are often available through public domain sources, allowing broader engagement with the drawings of Degas.