Assignment Task:
Waiting, a pastel by Edgar Degas, was created sometime around 1882 and is part of his series of works focusing on ballet dancers. While there are hundreds of drawings/paintings in his collection, only a few dozen show ballerinas performing on stage. The majority of Degas' pieces capture behind-the-scenes moments that help the viewer learn more about a dancer's life off the stage.
Directions:
Spend a quiet minute or two looking at the artwork. Then, describe what you see. What part stands out the most?
Write two adjectives that describe the feeling, mood, or atmosphere created in this piece of art:
Choose a specific element (a color, an item one of the figures is wearing or holding, the bench, etc.) that catches your eye and explain a symbolic meaning that item/element could hold.
Comment on the posture and/or body language of the two figures. Do you think they know each other? What leads you to this conclusion? What do you suppose each of the two figures is thinking? Need Assignment Help?
Thinking about the subject matter, mood, and symbolic element/s you've noticed, what's a reasonable message this painting delivers to the viewer?
If you were asked by Degas' representative to give this painting a new name, what name would you choose? Explain your reasoning.