Ballet at the Paris Opéra

One of the nineteenth century's most innovative artists, Edgar Degas often combined traditional techniques in unorthodox ways. In "Ballet at the Paris Opéra," the artist creatively joined the monotype technique, rarely used in his time, with the fragile medium of pastel. Described as "the powder of butterfly wings," pastel was the perfect medium to illustrate the onstage metamorphosis of spindly young dancers into visions of beauty as perfect and short-lived as butterflies.

Edgar Degas  (1834 - 1917) was a French artist born in the city of Paris. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, although he rejected the term, preferring to be called a realist.

Degar is famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers.