On Stage III

"On Stage III" is a pivotal print created by Edgar Degas between 1876 and 1877. This highly textural work exemplifies the artist's intense dedication to experimental printmaking, utilizing softground etching, drypoint, and roulette on wove paper. This specific impression represents the fourth state out of five, highlighting Degas's meticulous process of reworking the plate to achieve increasingly subtle tonal variations and dynamic line quality.

Degas frequently explored scenes of modern Parisian entertainment, specializing in the unseen activities backstage and the quiet, often unglamorous moments of preparation. Unlike contemporaries who often romanticized the ballet, Degas focused on the strenuous labor and realistic postures of the women dancers. This piece captures a moment of poised movement or contemplation, emphasizing the dramatic interplay of artificial stage lighting achieved through the varied intaglio techniques. The subject matter aligns with Degas’s larger body of work documenting the professional lives of working women in the late 19th century.

The technical execution is remarkable; the expressive quality of the drypoint lines contrasts sharply with the broader, granular texture achieved by the roulette, giving the print atmospheric depth. Degas’s innovative approach to etching places him among the most significant graphic artists of the Impressionist period. This important piece is classified as a fine art print and resides in the distinguished collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. High-quality reproductions of the work are frequently available in the public domain, allowing broader access to this unique aspect of the master’s oeuvre.