@christinadecodesart: 🩰 Meet Marie van Goethem, the real ballerina behind Edgar Degas’s Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. For more than 40 years, Degas was fascinated by the Paris Opéra Ballet. He watched dancers rehearse, repeat the same steps, and catch their breath backstage. He wanted to understand how bodies moved and what it took to make that movement look effortless. On one of his visits to the Paris Opéra, Degas met Marie, a young ballet student and the daughter of a tailor and a laundress. She posed for a series of drawings and studies that led to his famous wax sculpture, complete with a real tutu and a wig made from human hair. My favorite detail is the tilt of her chin. She looks tired and defiant at the same time, as if she’s been asked to hold that pose one minute too long. 📍 See the original wax sculpture at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, in the West Building, Gallery G3. Save this for your next DC museum visit. #EdgarDegas #LittleDancerAgedFourteen #NationalGalleryOfArt #ArtHistory #DCMuseums

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Sunday 08 November 2026 05:29:18 GMT