This weekend a new Degas exhibit opened at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC and I stopped in to take a look at it. I'll admit that I was never a huge Degas fan but this exhibit had me changing my mind. 2 pieces in particular had me impressed, Dancers At The Barre, which is much more impressive in person than in photos and another small painting that I've unfortunately forgotten the title of, but you can't miss it. It is a small painting with a pink background, drawn in a brown gouache wash. It is simple and gorgeous.
I found I appreciated Degas's work much more when his pieces were hung together instead of in a collection with other artists; it made a huge difference for me. It made it much easier to see his direction rather than appearing he had just found a pretty subject matter to paint. The exhibit is set up to show how the ballet and his painting held a bond in repetition. I could enjoy his work much more after looking at it with that idea in mind and I found I a new appreciation of his dedication, 30 years of ballet dancers.
Before leaving the exhibit there is a small room with paintings by other artists/friends of Degas. They are an impressive lot ranging from Gauguin to Bonnard, but these works do not interfere or distract from the focus of the Degas exhibit, since they are set apart from it. Exiting you are treated to entering a quiet, narrow room with mirrors and ballet barre. I love fine touches like that to exhibits.
