[Essay] The Artifice of Manipulation
Question:
Much like Monet’s works just discussed, Edgar Degas’s Dancers in the Rotunda at the Paris Opera of 1895 appears at a time when the painter’s role as synthetic visionary became manifest on the surface of his works in a manner in which it had not in the pictures from the 1870s. Account for how this work positions Degas as either a passive observer or an active creator of the ballet, specifically in the way in manages the balance between "artifice" (of dance, of art) and reality.
Answer:
The Artifice of Manipulation
Following the Haussmannisation of Paris in the late nineteenth century, certain artistic styles such as realism and academic painting, failed as methods for representing the chaotic transformation occurring throughout the city. Artists then began to turn to Impressionism as the art of the new industrialized, urbanized Paris because of its focus on the artist’s sensibility and the “moment.” Contrary to other styles of the time, Impressionism was not about the objective characterization of the world, or the purely subjective response of the artist. Instead, it focused on the interaction/balance between the two, more specifically focusing on the artist’s representation of his/her response to the changing nature of Paris. In the 1870s-1880s, French Impressionistic painter, Edgar Degas, expressed an interest in ballet as a symbol of the contemporary urban partisan culture because ballet’s shift from a country affair to the entertainment marketplace reflected the change in the ideals of the Bourgeoisie class. In Dancers in the Rotunda at the Paris Opera of 1895, Degas presents the scene as an observation of ballet dancers practicing for future performances. However, it is not a true recording of reality, but rather an artistic synthesis attempting to pass itself off as an observation and Degas as passive observer. By examining the usage of subject matter manipulation, the use of lines, and the application of brushstrokes, Degas reveals himself as an active creator of the ballet. In the process of creating the scene rather than representing reality, Degas loses his authority as a recorder of contemporary life and the flaneur privilege but gains credibility in the artifice of manipulation and synthesis of art.
Through the manipulation of the original image, the viewer becomes aware that the artwork is not an accurate representation of reality, but instead the artist’s practice in combining synthesis and reality until they becomes indistinguishable from each other. Although the artwork seems like a momentary capture of a scene of ballerinas dancing, none of the features for the surroundings of the ballerina are really distinguishable. Degas categorizes women as a type, rather than a specific individual, which leads this image to focus on the individual gesture and movements of the ballerina as opposed to the distinguishing features of the individual. The background is ambiguousness. Who is to distinguish what is real, what is actually there in the image and what isn’t? Degas identified himself with the position of being a dancer master. Just as the dancer master arranges the ballerina on the correct position, he arranges the ballerina figures in his painting in an arrangement that suites his needs. On the right side, one of the figures appears to lean back to say something to the other ballerina. The ballerinas are all in identical positions with their hands raised above their heads in a graceful arc. They are unaware, natural, unguarded and completely absorbed in the artifice of the dance. The artist’s position (and ultimately the viewer’s position) outside of the frame, looking at the unguarded ballerina casts them in a position of privileged, passive observer. However, there is no legibility in this image. We cannot really distinguish whom the scene represents or even if it is real or not. The ballerinas seem like a depersonalized idealization of their type. There is no way of knowing anything about the artwork except the gracefulness of the ballerina. On the surface, it appears that Degas is suggesting that the art of the dance becomes a metaphor for the art of the painting but beyond that, he is saying that artifice is in the manipulation of the viewer into thinking the scene is a true representation of reality rather than a the artist’s practice in combining synthesis and reality until they becomes indistinguishable from each other.
Degas appropriates the characteristics of sketching to give the viewer the impression that the painting is not an accurate, realistic recording of ballerinas practicing, but instead a series of moments manipulated to fit together into a coherent image. The ballerina on the left, closest the viewer, is the most defined figure in Degas’s painting, but even she is just a series of rough brushstrokes given a defined form only through the presence of a few, clear black lines. The arms and legs are heavily outlined in black to separate them from the dim, dark interior of the room. The folds of her dress are reduced to a 3-4 black lines with a shadow area created by a quick scribbling. Receding into the background, the figures begin to lose their coherence and blend in more with the interior . The farthest figures are reduced three blotches of color with no distinguishable features. Sketches are characterized by their fragmented nature. The whole image is abbreviated to a few lines more focused more on rapidly capturing a moment in time than getting all the details. For example, the interior of the room is nothing more an almost mono-colored, flat surface. There is no detail because Degas was more focused on the figures than he was on the interior. There is no distinction between which parts of the image were part of the original sketch and which part of this painting was synthesized by Degas as he painted this image from his sketches. For example, the lack of outline in the further figures might suggest that they probably are not real but a creation of the Degas. The line between the artifice of and reality become blurred the point where one can’t be separated from the other. While the sketchiness gives the illusion of movement & thus momentality, it does not allow us to distinguish the reality from the artifice.
The application of brushstrokes in Dancers in the Rotunda at the Paris Opera of 1895 adds to Degas’s creation of the sensation of the “single moment” that blurs the balance between reality and the artifice. During this particular period, Degas began to experiment with painting techniques through the usage of different brushstrokes. In the foreground, the two figures on the left have a smoother, crisp brushstroke on the dress interrupted only by few vague lines that define the body. For the smaller figures in the background, the brushstrokes become sketchy to the point where the legibility between the figure and the background becomes less apparent and they are only distinguishable by the difference in color. As the figures began to recede into background, the blurry, sketchy quality allows for the creation of depth accentuated by the color difference between the walls and the floor. The environments of the figure are all one monotonic application of the same brushstroke and color interrupted only by two vague circles resembling windows. The brushstrokes are not applied in an outlined, draw-within-the lines fashion, but are instead allowed to spread in an imitation of a matte surface and the loose application of pastel. Adding to this effect is the varying density of the paint application through the artwork. Some areas of the painting have a very thin, almost diluted application of paint while other areas have a more dense application of paint. For example, there is a strong layering of paint on the dresses as a contrast to the lighter layering of paint on the floor. The layering of paint creates a tactile sensation that gives off an impression of movement. The contrast of the various surface textures makes the viewer think that part of the painting pops out more than others. These two juxtapositions (between the defined/undefined and between the dense/not dense) created by brush application cause such an abstraction and forceful fragmentation that the sensation of movement that is captured in a single moment on canvas is created. The loose, uneven application of brushstrokes claim that these figures are not posed or standing still, but are in the throes of being absorbed in their practice, and Degas is painting a single moment of that movement. The manipulation of reality is not only seen through changes in subject matter representation, but it is also visible in the sensations synthesized by a combination of surface texture and matted paint application that adds to the overall effect of the painting. The synthesis of the sensation emphasizes the artifice of Degas while being apparent about the manipulation.
The most apparent manipulation in Degas’ painting is the physical presence of the artist on the painting surface. Aside from the varying brushstrokes, there are thumbprints on the canvas that suggest that Edgar Degas used his hand to fashion the medium. These prints cover the entire canvas and are especially concentrated in the highlights along the shoulder and the lower portion of the dresses. The closet figure to the viewer contains the most thumbprints while the figures in the background contain less. The thumbprint shifts the balance between the artifice and reality toward the artifice because the manifestation of the thumbprint no longer allows the artwork to pass itself off as an observation and Degas as passive recorder of reality. The physical manipulation of the artwork by Degas’s hand clearly states to the viewer that he has separated this image from reality and claimed it to be a synthesis of his skills as a creator of the scene. His own hand has altered the artwork to suit the vision that Degas wanted to create.
Notes on assignment found HERE
Much like Monet’s works just discussed, Edgar Degas’s Dancers in the Rotunda at the Paris Opera of 1895 appears at a time when the painter’s role as synthetic visionary became manifest on the surface of his works in a manner in which it had not in the pictures from the 1870s. Account for how this work positions Degas as either a passive observer or an active creator of the ballet, specifically in the way in manages the balance between "artifice" (of dance, of art) and reality.
Answer:
The Artifice of Manipulation
Following the Haussmannisation of Paris in the late nineteenth century, certain artistic styles such as realism and academic painting, failed as methods for representing the chaotic transformation occurring throughout the city. Artists then began to turn to Impressionism as the art of the new industrialized, urbanized Paris because of its focus on the artist’s sensibility and the “moment.” Contrary to other styles of the time, Impressionism was not about the objective characterization of the world, or the purely subjective response of the artist. Instead, it focused on the interaction/balance between the two, more specifically focusing on the artist’s representation of his/her response to the changing nature of Paris. In the 1870s-1880s, French Impressionistic painter, Edgar Degas, expressed an interest in ballet as a symbol of the contemporary urban partisan culture because ballet’s shift from a country affair to the entertainment marketplace reflected the change in the ideals of the Bourgeoisie class. In Dancers in the Rotunda at the Paris Opera of 1895, Degas presents the scene as an observation of ballet dancers practicing for future performances. However, it is not a true recording of reality, but rather an artistic synthesis attempting to pass itself off as an observation and Degas as passive observer. By examining the usage of subject matter manipulation, the use of lines, and the application of brushstrokes, Degas reveals himself as an active creator of the ballet. In the process of creating the scene rather than representing reality, Degas loses his authority as a recorder of contemporary life and the flaneur privilege but gains credibility in the artifice of manipulation and synthesis of art.
Through the manipulation of the original image, the viewer becomes aware that the artwork is not an accurate representation of reality, but instead the artist’s practice in combining synthesis and reality until they becomes indistinguishable from each other. Although the artwork seems like a momentary capture of a scene of ballerinas dancing, none of the features for the surroundings of the ballerina are really distinguishable. Degas categorizes women as a type, rather than a specific individual, which leads this image to focus on the individual gesture and movements of the ballerina as opposed to the distinguishing features of the individual. The background is ambiguousness. Who is to distinguish what is real, what is actually there in the image and what isn’t? Degas identified himself with the position of being a dancer master. Just as the dancer master arranges the ballerina on the correct position, he arranges the ballerina figures in his painting in an arrangement that suites his needs. On the right side, one of the figures appears to lean back to say something to the other ballerina. The ballerinas are all in identical positions with their hands raised above their heads in a graceful arc. They are unaware, natural, unguarded and completely absorbed in the artifice of the dance. The artist’s position (and ultimately the viewer’s position) outside of the frame, looking at the unguarded ballerina casts them in a position of privileged, passive observer. However, there is no legibility in this image. We cannot really distinguish whom the scene represents or even if it is real or not. The ballerinas seem like a depersonalized idealization of their type. There is no way of knowing anything about the artwork except the gracefulness of the ballerina. On the surface, it appears that Degas is suggesting that the art of the dance becomes a metaphor for the art of the painting but beyond that, he is saying that artifice is in the manipulation of the viewer into thinking the scene is a true representation of reality rather than a the artist’s practice in combining synthesis and reality until they becomes indistinguishable from each other.
Degas appropriates the characteristics of sketching to give the viewer the impression that the painting is not an accurate, realistic recording of ballerinas practicing, but instead a series of moments manipulated to fit together into a coherent image. The ballerina on the left, closest the viewer, is the most defined figure in Degas’s painting, but even she is just a series of rough brushstrokes given a defined form only through the presence of a few, clear black lines. The arms and legs are heavily outlined in black to separate them from the dim, dark interior of the room. The folds of her dress are reduced to a 3-4 black lines with a shadow area created by a quick scribbling. Receding into the background, the figures begin to lose their coherence and blend in more with the interior . The farthest figures are reduced three blotches of color with no distinguishable features. Sketches are characterized by their fragmented nature. The whole image is abbreviated to a few lines more focused more on rapidly capturing a moment in time than getting all the details. For example, the interior of the room is nothing more an almost mono-colored, flat surface. There is no detail because Degas was more focused on the figures than he was on the interior. There is no distinction between which parts of the image were part of the original sketch and which part of this painting was synthesized by Degas as he painted this image from his sketches. For example, the lack of outline in the further figures might suggest that they probably are not real but a creation of the Degas. The line between the artifice of and reality become blurred the point where one can’t be separated from the other. While the sketchiness gives the illusion of movement & thus momentality, it does not allow us to distinguish the reality from the artifice.
The application of brushstrokes in Dancers in the Rotunda at the Paris Opera of 1895 adds to Degas’s creation of the sensation of the “single moment” that blurs the balance between reality and the artifice. During this particular period, Degas began to experiment with painting techniques through the usage of different brushstrokes. In the foreground, the two figures on the left have a smoother, crisp brushstroke on the dress interrupted only by few vague lines that define the body. For the smaller figures in the background, the brushstrokes become sketchy to the point where the legibility between the figure and the background becomes less apparent and they are only distinguishable by the difference in color. As the figures began to recede into background, the blurry, sketchy quality allows for the creation of depth accentuated by the color difference between the walls and the floor. The environments of the figure are all one monotonic application of the same brushstroke and color interrupted only by two vague circles resembling windows. The brushstrokes are not applied in an outlined, draw-within-the lines fashion, but are instead allowed to spread in an imitation of a matte surface and the loose application of pastel. Adding to this effect is the varying density of the paint application through the artwork. Some areas of the painting have a very thin, almost diluted application of paint while other areas have a more dense application of paint. For example, there is a strong layering of paint on the dresses as a contrast to the lighter layering of paint on the floor. The layering of paint creates a tactile sensation that gives off an impression of movement. The contrast of the various surface textures makes the viewer think that part of the painting pops out more than others. These two juxtapositions (between the defined/undefined and between the dense/not dense) created by brush application cause such an abstraction and forceful fragmentation that the sensation of movement that is captured in a single moment on canvas is created. The loose, uneven application of brushstrokes claim that these figures are not posed or standing still, but are in the throes of being absorbed in their practice, and Degas is painting a single moment of that movement. The manipulation of reality is not only seen through changes in subject matter representation, but it is also visible in the sensations synthesized by a combination of surface texture and matted paint application that adds to the overall effect of the painting. The synthesis of the sensation emphasizes the artifice of Degas while being apparent about the manipulation.
The most apparent manipulation in Degas’ painting is the physical presence of the artist on the painting surface. Aside from the varying brushstrokes, there are thumbprints on the canvas that suggest that Edgar Degas used his hand to fashion the medium. These prints cover the entire canvas and are especially concentrated in the highlights along the shoulder and the lower portion of the dresses. The closet figure to the viewer contains the most thumbprints while the figures in the background contain less. The thumbprint shifts the balance between the artifice and reality toward the artifice because the manifestation of the thumbprint no longer allows the artwork to pass itself off as an observation and Degas as passive recorder of reality. The physical manipulation of the artwork by Degas’s hand clearly states to the viewer that he has separated this image from reality and claimed it to be a synthesis of his skills as a creator of the scene. His own hand has altered the artwork to suit the vision that Degas wanted to create.
Notes on assignment found HERE