Edgar Degas Three Dancers Preparing for Class 1878 Art Print

There is a muffled stillness in the rehearsal room as performers prepare for the stage. This print captures a fleeting, behind-the-scenes moment from 1878, rendered in the soft, chalky textures of Edgar Degas’s signature pastel style.

About Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas worked in pastel, oil and sculpture, and often used unusual, cropped viewpoints inspired by photography. His soft pastel colour suits bedrooms, dressing areas and calm living spaces. Impressionist paintings use visible brushstrokes and soft colour that feel bright and airy on a wall. The original dates from 1878. The Impressionists held their first independent exhibition in Paris in 1874.

Styling this Edgar Degas print

The blue and yellow colour scheme gives this Edgar Degas print a clear, confident presence. In a bedroom, “Three Dancers Preparing for Class” works as a 24×36″ statement piece above a console, or at 12×18″ to 16×20″ in a hallway or gallery wall. Finish “Three Dancers Preparing for Class” with a black or antique-gold frame: its blue and yellow palette pairs naturally with white walls, navy or denim textiles and pale oak. “Three Dancers Preparing for Class” also anchors a gallery wall well; surround it with smaller pieces at even 2–3 inch gaps.

At a glance

• Type: Edgar Degas print
• Artist: Edgar Degas
• Year: 1878
• Style: Impressionism
• Colours: blue and yellow
• Subject: The human figure
• Orientation: portrait
• Collections: Edgar Degas Posters, Impressionist Art Prints