Edgar Degas, a prominent figure in the Impressionist movement, shocked the art world at the sixth Impressionist exhibition in 1881 with a sculpture unlike any other he had presented before, or would again: the Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. This piece, as Degas himself titled it, has since transcended its initial controversial reception to become one of the most iconic and beloved sculptures in art history. Its fame is perpetuated through numerous bronze casts created posthumously from the uniquely original wax statuette.
However, the initial unveiling of the Little Dancer was far from celebratory. Critics almost universally condemned her as ugly, yet they were compelled to acknowledge the sculpture’s undeniable realism and its radical departure from conventional artistic norms. The innovative use of mixed media – fundamentally a wax figure adorned with real fabric clothing – was particularly striking. Beyond the materials, the subject matter itself was deemed modern and somewhat unsettling: a student dancer from the Paris Opera Ballet. The model, Marie van Goethem, embodied this reality. Coming from a working-class family – her father was a tailor, her mother a laundress – Marie’s background was typical of the young women who populated the Paris Opera school. These dancers were known by the evocative and somewhat disparaging term “petits rats de l’opéra,” or “opera rats.” This nickname alluded to their quick, scurrying movements across the stage. Yet, it also carried a less flattering connotation, hinting at the poverty and precariousness associated with these young dancers. Vulnerable and often from impoverished backgrounds, these ballet students were susceptible to exploitation by wealthy male patrons. Degas keenly understood this precarious existence, capturing what contemporary critic Joris–Karl Huysmans described as the Little Dancer‘s “terrible reality.” The sculpture is a deeply moving and poignant work of art. It portrays a fourteen-year-old girl who, despite her vulnerable position – both physically, with her somewhat awkward posture, and psychologically, navigating a challenging social environment – strives to maintain a sense of dignity. Her head is held high, a stark contrast to her arms pulled back in an uncomfortable pose.
The Little Dancer Aged Fourteen occupies a pivotal position in the history of sculpture. It represents a groundbreaking shift in artistic approach. Degas’s revolutionary concept – that any medium or technique is valid if it serves to convey the artist’s intended effect – can be directly attributed to this sculpture’s influence. He chose a subject from the working class, albeit one within the specific world of the arts, and portrayed her with both unflinching realism and profound empathy, yet without resorting to moralistic judgments. In this remarkable work, Degas masterfully articulated the complex and often strained relationship between art and life with striking simplicity.
