Degas's Dancers at the Barre: Point and Counterpoint

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (1834and#8211;1917) was a passionate devotee ofand#160;balletand#8212;he knew the dancers, the music, the choreography. He also knew the work involved in the life of the dancer, the endless rote and repetition of steps to achieve supreme grace, agility, and expression. Degas's Dancers at the Barreand#160;traces ballet in Degas's art from the 1870s to 1900. Bringing together carefully chosen paintings, drawings, pastels, prints, and sculptures fromand#160;some of the world's finest collections, this book celebrates The Phillips Collection's Dancers at the Barre (early 1880sand#8211;c. 1900) as aand#160;crowning achievement inand#160;the artist's prodigiousand#160;career.and#160;

Phillips Chief Curator Eliza Rathbone details Degas's intricate process behind his late masterpiece and Head ofand#160;Conservation Elizabeth Steele presents fascinating discoveries from the painting's recent conservation. National Gallery of Art object conservators Shelley Sturman and Daphne Barbour discuss Degas's sculptures, and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon reflects on Degas in the context of ballet today. Full-color reproductions of the works in the exhibitionand#8212;accompanied by images of related works, notes from the technical analysis of additional works by Degas in theand#160;Phillips Collection, and a detailed chronology of the artist's lifeand#8212;reveal the impressionist master's complex exploration of the figure and devotion to dance.

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was fascinated with ballet dancers, whom he depicted with great frequency in many media throughout his career. Degas's Dancers at the Barre (The Phillips Collection) is one of the crowning achievements of the artist's career and the cornerstone of this insightful publication. 

Bringing together carefully chosen drawings, pastels, prints, paintings, and mixed media, which relate to the Phillips's masterpiece, the authors build on recent scholarship about Degas's approach to work, his technique, and the subject matter. This book also features fascinating results from recent conservation of the work, the first campaign since the painting was acquired in 1944, which brought to light important new facts about its sources, dating, and complicated history.

Eliza E. Rathbone is chief curator, both at The Phillips Collection.