Fourteen-year-old dancer

Mediums: pigmented wax, clay, metal fittings, rope, natural hair, silk, linen on a wooden base.
Location: The National Gallery of Art in Washington (the USA).

The sculpture made of dark wax was the only one that Degas showed during his life at the exhibition of the Impressionists in 1881 in Paris, where it caused a storm of indignation. The work was described as “disgusting” and “spiteful,” and the real hair, ribbons, muslin, and linen used by the artist resolutely violated any, and not only an academic practice of the late 19th century. As a frame inside, the master attached his old brushes. The body of the young model, Marie Van Ghetham, formed by endless practice, is depicted in a position random by ballet standard; she keeps her slightly upturned head high, a little arrogant, as was required in ballet training. In the 1920s, at least 25 bronze copies of the original work were made. Also, two naked wax figures made by Degas as sketches were preserved.