Slippers of Ballerina

Edgar Degas captured a dancer's shoes in this pastel study, part of his extensive documentation of ballet life. Between 1873 and 1874, he made several studies of dancers adjusting their shoes, shown from different angles. His masterful use of pastel builds up color in layers.

Degas created about 1,500 paintings and works on paper depicting dancers during his career. The chalky pastel medium allowed him to capture movement and texture with outstanding delicacy. These shoes represent not performance but the unglamorous preparation behind the art, showing dancers as hardworking craftspeople rather than ethereal figures.