The Star
Degas
.
The Star or L'étoile is painted on pastel on cardboard in 1878. It measures 58x42 cm and is now on display at the Orsay Museum. Degas produced it in the impressionist style with light from below playing an important part in making the dancer glow.
Oil on canvas board. Size 11" by 14"
I took part of the original painting for my copy, but even then, I ran into the problem that Degas gave no detail to the upper body of the dancers in the background. As these detracted from the section I was attempting to copy, I used a blue glaze to push them back. The “sea” in the background also caused problems in the cropped view.
Getting the perspective of the dancer was difficult especially as I didn’t draw it first, but went straight in with paint. I think my dancer is seen from higher above than in the original – I extended the tutu to allow for this in her top right.
Degas appears to have blended the stage floor to achieve the different tones that prevent the background in the original from being bland. However the sea in the right top corner appears to show bold brushstrokes as does the rockface that goes across the top of the painting. I found the floor colour and texture very difficult to emulate with my palette.
The dancer is extremely pale and it is the use of contrast that makes her shine. Her tutu is painted in numerous shades of white which enhances its luminosity. This was difficult to copy as it could easily have become a rainbow skirt!
Notes to me......
• Be more careful about the size of the canvas I am copying onto
• When a subject is at an unusual perspective, pre-sketch the important lines/planes
• Refer to the original to interpret areas that are unclear in the cropped area