How Long?

Waiting (L'Attente) by Edgar Degas.

Degas' paintings of the life that goes on behind the scenes at the ballet are among his most beloved because they are real and show what went on, not just the finished product on the stage. We see the dancers trying to stay limber, the chaperones trying to stay awake, caught by an artist who managed to blend into the woodwork to bring us their world.

Setting the Scene

Dancers in the Wings by Edgar Degas, 1876-78, Pastel

Degas is well known for his superior ability to draw and to fade into the background so that he could capture a scene without influencing what was happening.