- La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans
Sculpture
title = La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans
artist =Edgar Degas
year = c. 1881
type =Bronze
height = 97
city =London
museum =Royal Academy "La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans" ("Little Dancer of Fourteen Years"), c. 1881, is a sculpture by
Edgar Degas of a young dance student namedMarie van Goethem . The sculpture was first cast in plaster before it was cast in 1922 in bronze."Little Dancer of Fourteen Years" is made from wax, an unusual choice of material for a sculpture of this time, dressed in a cotton skirt with a hair ribbon, sitting on a wooden base.
The relationship between Marie van Goethem and Edgar Degas is one of debate. It was usual in 1880 for the 'Petits Rats' of the Opera of Paris to seek protectors from among the wealthy visitors at the back door of the opera.
When the "La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans" was shown in Paris at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition of 1881, it received mixed reviews. The majority of critics where shocked by the piece. They thought it was ugly, that it looked like a medical specimen, in part because Degas exhibited it inside a glass case. Some considered the head and face grotesque and primitive.
One copy of "La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans" is currently owned by the creator and owner of
Auto Trader ,John Madejski . He stated that he bought the sculpture by accident.The original wax model was sold for $12,377,500 to
François Pinault at Sotheby's in November 1999. [cite news | date=2006-09-22 | url=http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/label-france_2554/label-france-issues_2555/label-france-no.-40_4202/business-life_4263/france-on-the-art-market_6542.html?var_recherche=Fran%E7ois+Pinault | title=La France sur le marché de l’art | publisher=diplomatie.gouv.fr | accessdate=2008-01-16]References
External links
* [http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=12&viewMode=1&item=29%2E100%2E370 "Little Dancer of Fourteen Years"] sculpture at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art .
* [http://www.scva.org.uk/collections/mustseeobjects/index.php?collection=1&collection_object=43 "Little Dancer of Fourteen Years"] in the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection.
* [http://www.nga.gov/education/degas-20.shtm History of La Danseuse] at theNational Gallery of Art .
* [http://www.msu.edu/course/ha/446/richardkendall.pdf "The making of the sculpture"] by Richard Kendall,Michigan State University .
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/3531069.stm Football boss donates £3m to arts]
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