Ukrainian Dancers 1899

Edgar Degas created "Ukrainian Dancers" using pastel. The composition immediately draws you into a field of warm yellows and oranges, punctuated by the cool blues of the sky above. Figures emerge from this textured landscape, their forms suggested more than defined. Degas uses color and line to create rhythm, the figures merge, their individuality less important than the collective movement and dance. This is reinforced by the suggestive nature of the forms. Here, Degas destabilizes traditional notions of form by using pastel to create shapes that challenge fixed perspectives. This piece should be considered as an open invitation to interpret how color and texture work to represent themes of collective identity and movement. As such, it remains a dynamic site for interpretation.