Petite danseuse de quatorze ans

Edgar Degas (in 1880-1881 (1922))

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Alma asked

Can I see the sculpture at Boijmans? I just saw a video of the skirt being redone at the Met Museum. Is it the same sculpture? Does the wax original still exist? Or at least photos of it?
Bedankt!
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Dear Alma, At this moment the sculpture is on show in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, as part of the exhibition 'Best of Boijmans'. As far as I know, the wax original does not exist anymore and I am not sure if there are photo's. There are several books in which the complete story of the little dancer is explored and told; I think I read the one from 1998, but others have been published more recently, in 2016 and 2018. These might bring updated knowledge and insights. Just search: 'book degas little dancer aged fourteen' and you will find all options. Good luck and kind regards, Els

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Read aloud

The Belgian ballerina Marie van Goethem was 14 years old when she modelled for Degas. The original sculpture was made of wax and was so realistic with its real hair and shoes that it caused a scandal at the Impressionist exhibition in 1881. Degas never exhibited a sculpture again. After his death twenty five bronze casts were made of this sculpture.

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Specifications

Title	Petite danseuse de quatorze ans
Material and technique	Bronze, textile, bronze and textile
Object type	Sculpture > Three-dimensional object > Art object
Location	This object is in storage

Dimensions	Height 98 cm Width 49 cm Depth 50 cm
Artists	Artist: Edgar Degas
Accession number	BEK 1239 (MK)
Credits	Loan Stichting Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, 1939
Department	Modern Art
Acquisition date	1939
Creation date	in 1880-1881 (1922)
Internal exhibitions	The Collection Enriched (2011) Alles kids (2016) De collectie als tijdmachine (2017) Lievelingen (2024)
External exhibitions	Boijmans bij de Buren - Meesterlijk! (2019) Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen @ Rijksmuseum (2023)
Material	Bronze > Copper > Common metal > Metal > Inorganic material > Material > Material and technique Textile > Worked fibres > Fibre > Vegetable material > Organic material > Material > Material and technique
Object	Sculpture > Three-dimensional object > Art object
Geographical origin	France > Western Europe > Europe

All about the artist

Edgar Degas

Parijs 1834 - Parijs 1917

Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas was admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Paris in 1855. He took a number of study trips to Italy and initially painted mainly...

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