Dancers Evie Ferris and Georgia Scott-Hunter from The Australian Ballet. All photography by Wayne Taylor, courtesy of the National Gallery of Victoria
In a flutter of frothy tulle, ballerinas from The Australian Ballet posed next to Degas’ iconic ballet dancer paintings at the launch of the National Gallery of Victoria’s exhibition Degas: A New Vision, which opened to the public on Friday.The ballerinas brought to life the enchanting movements of Degas’ dancers by imitating and extending their poses in a series of surreal tableaus, costumed in replica nineteenth century tutus and slippers.Featuring over 200 works, Degas: A New Vision is the largest Degas show to ever be staged in Australia, and includes works that have never been shown here before.The National Gallery of Victoria went to some trouble to collate works by Degas from over 40 cities around the world, and more than 65 separate collections.The show is curated by pre-eminent Degas expert Henri Loyrette, the former Director of the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. Loyrette has spent four decades studying Degas’ work.Not only will the exhibition showcase Degas’ ballet scenes, but also portraits, nude studies, and depictions of modern Parisian life in the late nineteenth century. As well as his creative approach to painting, Degas: A New Vision will draw attention to the artist’s skilled draftsmanship and experiments with sculpture and photography.Degas: A New Vision continues until September 18 at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. You can find out more about the exhibition here.Related:Ballerinas Take a Bow in Delicate and Powerful Paper CostumesDancers, Horses, and Women: Exploring the Fixations of Edgar DegasArt and Music Collide at the NGV's ‘Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei’ Exhibition
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