Who would have thought that an arbitrary rehearsal of classical dance could turn out to be such a fascinating work of art? The painting “The Rehearsal” by Edgar Degas, created in 1878, depicts a scene of a ballet dancer taking place in an urban ballet studio. Degas, born and raised in France, reflects France's influence on ballet in this painting as well as in most of his artwork, consisting primarily of ballet paintings. In the picture, Degas depicts a scene from a typical day in the studio and puts it in the spotlight, making it glorious and intriguing to watch. His ability to take an everyday scene and transform it into a magnificent moment is what makes this painting timeless, truthful and precise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “Rehearsal” lures you into a ballet studio. The studio is a large, old, peeling room that smells of dust mixed with sweat and perfume, reminiscent of the scent of a woman at the end of a party. The brownish gray colors of the room are illuminated only by natural light, diffused through three bay windows. The view from the windows is of treetops and building roofs. Between two of the windows on the right side of the painting is a ballet barre accompanied by several dancers, one of whom wears a white tutu. As she leans on the bar while stretching her right leg, the dancer looks out at the top of the tree, her face bright and warm thanks to the reflection of the sun. To his left are two other dancers, standing and chatting together. One of them faces the center of the room and the other faces the window, so the viewer can only see it from behind. The two dancers stand close enough to each other to listen to each other's loud music. In front of the two dancers is another dancer who is watching the rehearsal attentively. In the center of the painting are four dancers performing a routine together. They are all dressed in white tutu dresses, each wearing a different colored ribbon at the waist, distinguishing them from each other. Each ribbon is tied perfectly on their backs, like a perfectly wrapped gift, showcasing their tight bodies. Their hair is decorated with flowers and around each of their necks is a black ribbon beautifully tied like a necklace. At this time, dancers stand with their right foot on the ground while their left foot is raised above their waist. They all seem focused on the music and the routine, counting the steps in their heads, and the viewer can practically see the fear of failure in their eyes, as they anxiously attempt to succeed in the routine. In the lower left corner of the painting is a partially visible man. The man is dressed in black, unlike the dancers, and sits on a chair while playing the violin. In the center of the painting, right next to the violinist, is Degas' favorite dancer. She is one of four dancers practicing, but she is different from all of them because she is painted with much more detail. Her hair is brown and curly and pulled into a messy ponytail. His facial expression appears serious and his eyes are focused on a particular spot on the ground. She's taller than the rest of the group and much more interesting than everyone else. Surprisingly, the viewer is not able to notice it at a glance. To notice it, the viewer must really pay attention to the composition of the painting and Degas' point of view. Upon seeing her, the spectator irresistibly continues to look at her, like the feeling of love at first sight; everything else around her seems suddenfuzzy and vague. This way of viewing the painting amounts to revealing Degas' secret love, which may explain why this scene is so unique despite the fact that it is simply a studio rehearsal. Although the painting was created in 1878, it can be repainted today. This scene is an everyday moment in the life of a ballet dancer in 1878 and is still true in the studio today, making this painting timeless. The ability to take an everyday scene and transform it into a magnificent moment is what makes this painting so unique and interesting. Edgar Degas is known as an expressionist-realist artist who stays true to what he sees in reality. Everything in this painting seems real. For example, the dancers in the back talking to each other, the dancer stretching in the back, and the focused faces of the dancers practicing in the center. Each of these scenarios is common to all dancers and can be performed at any time from any ballet studio. Degas accurately translates each moment without straying from reality. As a result of this approach, Degas paid great attention to the small details that are important in the life of a dancer. For example, he drew the dancer's pointe shoes so clearly, as if it were the most important part of the painting. Additionally, the front dancers holding their legs above their waists have their feet perfectly pointed as only an advanced dancer can do. These details illustrate the respect Degas had for the dancers and engage the viewer, leaving them with the feeling of being inside this studio. Not only does Degas know the characteristics of dancers, but he is also very capable of representing multiple tones. Degas shows so much contrast in this painting, making it both elegant and poor. For example, the contrast between the old urban studio and the purity of the ballet dancers. The dancers look like princesses; their hair is decorated with flowers, in the shape of a crown, and their skin is so white and pure. They wear white tutu dresses with a colorful ribbon sash at the waist, similar to a ball gown, while the room itself appears cold and old. Additionally, they dance classical ballet, known as a delicate and worldly dance. On the downside, the dance studio has a poor appearance, as it is not well maintained and does not appear to be a suitable setting for dancing. Additionally, the man playing the violin is dressed in black, which contrasts with the dancers in white. Degas located it in the lower left corner of the painting which almost confuses it with the old gray room. The man seems old and dresses very poorly unlike the young dancers in white. Even though the differences in the image are so clear and contrast with each other, they blend well, leaving the viewer with the feeling that the painting is real and workable. The painting does not appear to be something it is not. “The Rehearsal” is one of several paintings of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas. In his early years, he would invite dancers to his studio to pose for him, and then he would paint or sculpt them. As he became more famous, he would be invited backstage at ballet performances and he would paint and capture these moments. He loved the costumes, the stage lights and the anatomy of the dancers. In this painting, Degas's familiarity with the world of dance is very evident. Looking closer at the dancer stretching on the bar on the back of the painting, we notice that her form is not perfect. Her left leg is slightly bent and her back is tilted a bit, showing how difficult this pose is for her. However, the viewer can practically taste the dancer's determination to perform perfectly.