Danserinde der sætter sit hår; halvfigur i profil til venstre, halvt bagfra 1888 - 1891

Edgar Degas made this drawing of a dancer adjusting her hair. The ballet was central to the cultural milieu of late 19th-century Paris, offering a space where class and gender dynamics were visibly performed and negotiated. Degas often depicted dancers not on stage, but in moments of candid repose. Here we see the dancer's body from a close perspective, with the intimacy creating an ambiguous gaze. While these works appear informal, they raise questions about the power dynamics between the male artist and his female subject. Degas developed an alternative narrative by focusing on the dancer's labour, rather than idealizing them as ethereal figures. The emotional impact of this drawing resides in its delicate balance between the vulnerability of the private moment and the deliberate construction of the artist's gaze. This work prompts us to consider how identity is shaped not only by one's own actions but also by the act of being observed.