Study of a Nude (Dancer at the Barre)

Study of a Nude (Dancer at the Barre) is a powerful charcoal drawing created by Edgar Degas between 1884 and 1900. This highly resolved preparatory work utilizes charcoal on tracing paper, a medium favored by the artist in his late career for its ability to convey light, shadow, and movement with both speed and substantial depth. The tracing paper was subsequently laid down on card, suggesting the artist intended this piece as a significant, finished study rather than a fleeting sketch.

The subject matter features a female nude captured in the act of stretching or warming up, strongly implying her identity as a ballet dancer utilizing a barre outside the viewable frame. This theme successfully merges two of Degas's most enduring fixations: the physicality and rigorous training required of dancers, and the academic study of the human form. Unlike earlier, highly polished depictions of the ballet stage, this vigorous charcoal drawing prioritizes conveying muscle tension and the dynamic posture inherent in the dancer’s profession. Degas masterfully used broad sweeps of shadow and definitive lines to define the weight and anatomy of the figure, positioning this piece firmly within the tradition of academic figure studies while applying a modern, unflinching eye.

Completed late in the artist's career, the work offers insight into the techniques he employed as his eyesight declined, relying heavily on bold form and expressive execution. This significant Degas drawing now resides in the comprehensive collection of 19th-century French art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a major representation of Impressionist-era draftsmanship, and given its historic importance, high-quality archival prints of this artwork are often made available through public domain art initiatives, ensuring broader access to the master’s technique.