Edgar Degas

EDGAR DEGAS (Paris, 1834 - 1917)
"Danseuse agrafant l'épaulette de son corsage".
Bronze with nuanced brown patina.
Lost wax casting.
Numbered 64 IX/IX.
With "Degas" signature stamp on the base.
Stamped "CIRE PERDUE C. VALSUANI" on the base.
Casting made under the control of the artist's family.
Provenance: European private collection.
Reference Bibliography: Hébrard 64; Pingeot 28; Rewald 25; Czestochowski 64.
This edition comprises a print run marked A through T and a print run numbered in Roman numerals I/IX through IX/IX.
A notarized copy of the certificate of authenticity from Artco France Éditeur d'Art, dated 2007, will be given to the purchaser.
We thank the Degas Committee for their collaboration; the official certificate of authenticity may be requested at the buyer's expense.
Measurements: 37 cm (height).

This sculpture belongs to the most intimate and revealing core of Edgar Degas' work, centered on the everyday universe of the dancers of the Paris Opera. Unlike stage or academic representations of ballet, Degas was interested in the moments before and after the performance: functional gestures, moments of preparation and spontaneous attitudes that reveal the physical effort and concentration of the young performers.

The figure is presented in a transitory movement, captured with extraordinary naturalness. The right arm crosses the torso to reach the strap of the bodice, generating a torsion that breaks any frontality and gives the work an intense three-dimensionality. This posture, apparently casual, is the result of a rigorous and almost scientific observation of the body in action. Degas does not idealize the figure: he shows the weight of the body, the muscular tension and the silent concentration of the gesture.

The surface of the bronze deliberately retains traces of the original wax modeling. Irregularities, tool marks and traces of handwork produce a vibrant play of light and shadow. This treatment turns the sculpture into an authentic "impressionist" work in volume, where the material seems to animate under the light.

This posthumous edition was executed under the control of the artist's family, guaranteeing maximum fidelity to the original model. Valsuani is considered one of the best foundries of the 20th century, particularly valued for its technical precision and its ability to preserve the finer details of Degas' modeling.

The copy presented here corresponds to the IX/IX, belonging to the smallest series of the Roman numeral numbered edition, which notably increases its exclusivity in the market. The work has a notarized copy of the Artco France Éditeur d'Art certificate (2007) and is eligible for official certification by the Degas Committee, a determining factor for its full validation and value in the international collecting field.

This sculpture embodies in an exemplary manner Degas' revolutionary contribution to modern sculpture: the abandonment of idealized beauty in favor of the truth of gesture, of the body in tension and of the lived moment. Degas' series of figures of dancers constitute a decisive bridge between classical sculpture and modernity, placing Degas not only as one of the great masters of Impressionism, but also as a key figure in the evolution of 20th century art.