Bonhams is auctioning Edgar Degas’s groundbreaking 1885 oil on canvas, “Scène de ballet,” in its Impressionist & Modern Art auction on February 3, 2015. The work will be sold at the Bonhams New Bond Street saleroom with an estimate of £2,500,000-3,500,000.Degas is known for his fascination with the dancers of the Paris Opéra which was the source of more than 1,000 paintings, pastels, charcoal drawings, and prints.According to Bonhams, works such as “Scène de ballet” represent a turning point for Degas whose style changed in around 1885 from being tight, precise, and founded on exquisite draughtsmanship to being looser, brighter, and more abstracted in form.It was only a year after he painted “Scène de ballet” that Degas took part in his final Impressionist group show, and began his withdrawal from the public art world.India Phillips, Director and Head of the Impressionist & Modern Art Department at Bonhams, said: “Degas is the painter of the ballet. No other artist has captured the movements, costumes and spectacle of the dance in the same way. Scène de ballet is as iconic an image as you could hope for, and we are honoured to be offering it for sale.”Follow @UK_ARTINFO
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