Two Ballet Girls

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Two ballerinas appear in a dimly lit offstage interior. The dancer in the foreground, depicted in profile, holds her head down and places a hand on her thigh—apparently lost in thought. The other turns away, perhaps dressing or undressing. Rouault's expressive style, evocative of Gothic stained glass, attests to his belief that dancers and other performers were spiritual mirrors for humanity. He once wrote, "This rich and glittering costume, it is given to us by life itself, we are all more or less [performers], we all wear a glittering costume."

Source ↗