The Dance Class

Young ballerinas in white tutus gather around an old ballet master leaning on his cane in a rehearsal room. It catches a single moment in the middle of the action, the kind of scene the painters of the period loved to set down. Every figure has a part to play, and the story unfolds the longer you look.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by umber, with forest and stone in support: a low-lit, warm picture. Those warm tones give it a glow that comes alive in lamplight and deepens as the evening draws in. The wide format lets the scene unfold from side to side, with something new to find towards its edges.

A wide canvas like this one is a natural focal point above a sofa, a sideboard or a bed, where its width can carry the wall. It brings a scene of everyday life to a kitchen or a dining room. Umber and forest are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

Edgar Degas made the original in 1874; in the collection it is listed under Impressionism. It has the Impressionists’ feeling for a passing moment, with lively brushwork and light that seems to move across the surface. This painting is printed to order on gallery-wrapped canvas in 30 × 40 cm or 40 × 60 cm, from the image you see here. The canvas wraps around its frame, so it arrives ready to hang, with no framing needed. Want yourself in it instead? Add a photo and see your portrait free before you order.