degas: at the track, on stage

Edgar Degas. Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey, 1866, reworked 1880–1881 and about 1897. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Picture courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago.

A simple one room (very green) exhibition; a mini show, highlighting two of Degas' wonderful pieces of art. The unfinished painting, Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey, and the brilliantly sculptured, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. This show features a small amount of Degas's paintings, drawings, and sculptures of both dancers and jockeys. Specifically focusing on Degas's work that created moments of movement. Since the show was small, I think it only fitting this blog be short and sweet. Here are four thoughts I walked out of the exhibit mulling over.

Edgar Degas. Four Studies of a Jockey, 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Cobarn Memorial Collection. Picture courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago.

One, I fell in love with a tiny painting, somewhat fitting since again, the show was so small. The painting was of a dancer in a pink (picture is up on my Instagram feed). This painting left me with a feeling of softness, in both the way Degas portrayed the dancer and the way in which he painted each brushstroke. Two, Degas or Toulose Lautrec? Crowds of people were featured in two different paintings in the exhibit. As I strolled away from each of these pieces, I found myself reflecting on Toulose Lautrec's works. Three, what happened to white walls? The green walls of the exhibit detracted from Degas work for me. The star piece of the show, Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey, melted away into the green wall. Four, I was craving one of Degas finished Jockey paintings to compare to his unfinished painting, Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey. This would have made the show a perfect mini exhibit for me. Degas: At the Track, on stage is open now through February 2016 at the Art Institute of Chicago. Do not miss out!