Little Dancer - The statue behind the new musical

Last fall, I had the opportunity to see the new Kennedy Center original production of Little Dancer, inspired by Edgar Degas' statue: Little Dancer Aged 14. So naturally, I had to follow up with the production's sister exhibit!

A bit late (ok, a few months...), I headed over to the National Gallery of Art before the exhibit's closing weekend (sorry, it closed February 8th, but I was slow to post).

And, of course, I had to stop and take a picture of Mercury in the Rotunda. I love that the flower arrangements around him are always changing! These colorful blooms made it possible to hope that spring is actually around the corner. 

After leaving the Rotunda, I made my way towards the impressionist galleries and the Degas exhibit. 

And there she was. Little Dancer Aged 14. Although there are over thirty bronze and two plaster versions of her, this is original sculpture. The only one he touched and the only sculpture he exhibited during his life. 

And she is beautiful!

After seeing the musical, where there is a scene about the dressing of the statue, it was very interesting to see what she is actually wearing: a cotton and silk tutu, linen ballet slippers, and a simple ribbon.

What I found most fascinating were all of the materials used to support the statue. Degas used many items within the structure of the statue, including broken paint brushes! 

The exhibit also includes other works by Degas, including other sculpture studies. 

Study in the Nude of Little Dancer Ages Fourteen (Nude Little Dancer), c. 2878-1881.

And the paintings! Degas was famous for capturing life within the Paris Opera Ballet, the beautiful, the ordinary, and the ugly. 

His studies the Ballet has always been some of my favorites. I have had a print of Degas' La classe de danse in my room for years. He is one of my favorite artists and I was so happy with the rest of this exhibit. It had a wonderful selection of his paintings and studies. 

The Dance Class (Ecole de Danse), c. 1873

The Dance Lesson c. 1879

Ballet Scene c. 1907

The Ballet Master (Le maitre de ballet), c.1874)

I think this was my favorite one in the exhibit. I loved the emotion and the starkness of colors. It was just amazing. 

The exhibit was beautifully done. I wished that they had connected it more to the musical, as both the National Gallery and the Kennedy Center had advertised the exhibit as a companion exhibit for the original musical. But having seen the musical, the exhibit really helped explain Degas' history with the Paris Opera Ballet, which lasted over forty years. 

And while you might have missed the exhibit (sorry again that I didn't get to it earlier in the run!), you can see Little Dancer Ages 14  in all her glory at the National Gallery, as she is a part of their regular collection. 

The National Gallery of Art is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

There's a Gaul in the Rotunda

The Dying Gaul has come to the US. More specifically, to the West Building of the National Gallery here in Washington, DC. And on Boxing Day the Smith clan went on our annual cultural trip to see it.

The Dying Gaul is my mother's absolute favorite sculpture. We saw it in Rome on my 21st birthday trip and it was spectacular. And of course, as soon as she heard that it was headed our way, my mother decided we would all go see it.

The sculpture was brought to the National Gallery by the Italian Embassy, Roma Capitale, and the Musei Capitolini as part of the "2013 Year of Italian Culture." 

I love how detailed the sculpture is, even though its Roman copy of an original Greek bronze sculpture, which was lost centuries ago. Here you can see the Gaul's fatal wound and the sad expression in his eyes. And he is clearly identified as a Gaul by the torc around his neck.

The sculpture is only accompanied by two didactic panels describing its history. There is also a beautiful guide that has been provided by the exhibit's sponsors for visitors to take home. The guide includes much of the same information as the didactic panels, from the history of the sculpture to the fame it gained after its rediscovery.

After its discovery in the mid-17th century, bronze replicas of the statue were made. I think it is poetic that the marble copy of a Greek bronze was so revered that the marble itself was copied in bronze. 

Above the Dying Gaul hangs a copy of Giovanni Paolo Panini's Ancient Rome (1754/1757). Apart from this print and the label text, there are no other objects in the exhibit. And it doesn't need anything else. 

The Dying Gaul exhibit was originally suppose to run from October 15, 2013 through January 26, 2014. But because of its popularity, it will remain at the National Gallery through March 16, 2014. The sculpture will then be returned to the Musei Capitolini in Rome. 

If you are in the Washington, D.C. area and have a chance to stop by, I strongly suggest you go and see this magnificent sculpture. There is a reason it has been so popular for so many centuries. It is absolutely spectacular. I am so thankful to the Italian Embassy and the other sponsors who brought the Dying Gaul here so that I might have another chance to see it.