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Little Dancer Aged Fourteen

Item

Title
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen
Description
Sculpted with rich brown wax, a young ballerina stands with her arms straight, hands clasped behind her back, and one foot in front of the other on a square wooden base. Her body is angled to our left in this photograph. Both feet are splayed outward, and her right foot is placed far in front of her left. Bangs cover her forehead, and she has a heart-shaped, upturned face with a squat nose and slightly pursed lips. Her heavy-lidded eyes are nearly closed and her hair is pulled back and tied with a wide, cream-white ribbon. She wears a fabric costume with a sleeveless, gold-colored bodice, a gray tulle skirt, and ballet slippers. Her body is sculpted from dark brown wax, and a layer of wax covers her hair, bodice, and ballet slippers.
Creator
Degas, Edgar
Date Created
1878-1881
Multiple mediums
pigmented beeswax, clay, metal armature, rope, paintbrushes, human hair, silk and linen ribbon, cotton faille bodice, cotton and silk tutu, linen slippers, on wooden base
beeswax
clay mineral
armatures (structural frames)
ropework (visual works)
paintbrushes
human hair
silk (silkworm material)
linen (material)
cotton (textile)
Who owns the work, where it's held
National Gallery of Art
Contains "mixed media" as identifier in open access repository
Yes
place of creation
France
Open access repository information
National Gallery of Art
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.110292.html#overview
Site pages
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