Little Dancer of Fourteen Years
Degas's wax sculpture of a young ballet student.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Edgar Degas started work on *The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer* around 1880. The sculpture shows Marie van Goethem, a Belgian teenager who trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school. Instead of the usual materials, Degas chose wax for the original—an uncommon decision at the time. The figure stands at about two-thirds life size.
When it appeared at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in 1881, reactions were mixed. The dancer wore a real bodice, tutu, ballet slippers, and a wig made from human hair. Everything except the hair, ribbon, and tutu was coated in wax. Some critics were shocked: one called her the "flower of precocious depravity," while another compared her to a monkey or a Mexica. Joris-Karl Huysmans, however, praised it as "the first truly modern attempt at sculpture I know." The piece was displayed in a glass case, like classical sculptures in the Louvre, which may have invited comparisons to older art.
The exact nature of Degas’s relationship with Marie van Goethem remains unclear. A nude version of the statue exists and is now shown beside the original wax at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Although the public reacted negatively to the implied nudity of the clothed figure, no conclusive evidence of a sexual relationship has been found. Realistic wax figures with real hair and clothing had been common in religious, folk, and fine art for centuries before Degas.
The dancer’s pose is tense: arms are taut, legs and feet placed in a ballet position similar to fourth position at rest. Her face appears contorted—some saw it as deliberately ugly, others as the expression of a sickly, awkward adolescent forced into something she did not want to do.
After Degas died, his heirs decided to have bronze casts made of *La Petite Danseuse* and his other wax sculptures. The Hébrard foundry in Paris handled the casting from 1920 until it went bankrupt in 1936. Later, the Valsuani foundry took over until the mid-1970s. At least 28 bronze versions now exist in museums and galleries worldwide. The tutus on these bronzes differ from one museum to another. One copy, accidentally bought by Auto Trader founder John Madejski, sold for £13,257,250 at Sotheby’s in February 2009. Another Hébrard bronze failed to sell at a Christie’s auction in November 2011.
To build the original, Degas used pigmented beeswax, a metal armature, rope, and paintbrushes covered w
- artist
- Edgar Degas
- model
- Marie van Goethem
- nationality
- Belgian (model)
- field
- Sculpture
- medium
- Wax, later bronze
- year_begun
- c. 1880
- known_for
- First truly modern attempt at sculpture (per Joris-Karl Huysmans)
Lore & Background
The sculpture was exhibited in 1881 at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in Paris, dressed in a real bodice, tutu, ballet slippers, and a wig of human hair. All but the hair, ribbon, and tutu were coated in wax. The public reacted negatively to the implied nudity of the young model, and critics compared the dancer to a monkey and a Mexica. Paul Mantz called her the 'flower of precocious depravity.' The exact relationship between Marie van Goethem and Edgar Degas remains a matter of debate; Degas was never conclusively in a sexual relationship.
After Degas's death, his heirs commissioned the Hébrard foundry in Paris to cast bronze replicas from the wax original. At least 28 bronze casts exist in museums and galleries worldwide. The tutus worn by the bronzes vary from museum to museum. A second version of the statue, a nude, is displayed alongside the 1881 wax original at the National Gallery in Washington DC. The wax sculpture seen today is a reworked version of the original; a plaster cast made before the reworking records the original pose, bodice, and hairdo.
Reader's Guide
The Little Dancer of Fourteen Years is significant as a pioneering work of modern sculpture, praised by Joris-Karl Huysmans as 'the first truly modern attempt at sculpture I know.' Its use of real clothing and human hair challenged traditional sculptural conventions. The work also sparked controversy over the depiction of a young working-class girl, reflecting social anxieties of the time. Its legacy endures through numerous bronze casts, scholarly accounts, and cultural references, including a 2003 ballet, a 2014 stage musical, and appearances in films and television series. The sculpture remains a subject of debate regarding Degas's relationship with his model and the ethics of artistic representation.
Did You Know?
- The sculpture was originally modeled in wax, an unusual choice for the time.
- At least 28 bronze casts exist worldwide, produced by the Hébrard foundry after Degas's death.
- A plaster cast made before Degas reworked the wax records the original pose, bodice, and hairdo.
- The sculpture was exhibited in a glass case at the 1881 Impressionist Exhibition, like classical sculpture in the Louvre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sculpted Little Dancer of Fourteen Years and who does it depict?
Edgar Degas created the piece around 1880, modeling it on Marie van Goethem, a Belgian teenager who was training at the Paris Opera Ballet school.
What material is Little Dancer of Fourteen Years made from and why is that unusual?
Degas chose wax for the original sculpture rather than the more conventional marble or bronze, a decision that was highly unconventional for the period. A bronze cast was produced later.
How large is Little Dancer of Fourteen Years?
The figure stands at roughly two-thirds of a full human height, making it a smaller-than-life-size representation of the young dancer.
When was Little Dancer of Fourteen Years first shown to the public?
It debuted at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in 1881, where it drew a notably mixed reception from critics and viewers.
What made Little Dancer of Fourteen Years controversial when it was displayed?
Many critics were startled by how lifelike the piece appeared, since it incorporated a real bodice, actual ballet slippers, and a wig fashioned from human hair. These tangible, everyday materials made the sculpture feel far more present and unsettling than a typical marble statue.
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