Ballet Dancers 1885

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this painting of ballet dancers, sometime in the late 19th century, using oil on cardboard. Here, Lautrec paints a scene of a class of ballet dancers, in what appears to be a rehearsal. We can see the arm of a conductor directing their practice with his baton. Toulouse-Lautrec was painting in France at a time of new money and social change, with increasing class divisions, and the rise of the ‘cafe society’. The Paris Opera was a powerful institution at this time, but one undergoing significant change. Ballet was an established art form but the dancers themselves often came from working class backgrounds, which led to social tensions. Lautrec often painted scenes from Parisian nightlife, and although he also made posters for the Opera, he shows us something more gritty here. Ballet Dancers, while pretty, is unfinished. This gives the impression of a behind-the-scenes look at the dancers’ hard work. Looking at Lautrec’s personal correspondence and the social history of ballet training in France at this time helps us to understand his work better.