1897
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Series by Monet Pissarro Rodin Paris Orientalisn 1830-1900
See also : Series by Monet Pissarro Rodin Paris Orientalisn 1830-1900
GAUGUIN
1
masterpiece
1897-1898 D'où venons-nous Que sommes-nous Où allons-nous
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Coming rather lately to artistic creation and originally close to the Impressionnistes, Paul Gauguin looked for innovative solutions such as using pure colors within closed forms, anticipating Fauvisme.
His life became a series of social woes. This uncompromising Christian rejects the Catholic teaching and liturgy but desires to interpret the mystery of life. At the time of the Christ Jaune, 1889, he surrounds the religious symbols with themes from modern life including his own self portrait.
His voluntary exile in Polynesia brings him a synthesis of Christianity and animism. From then Gauguin's art is no more exclusively Christian.
Paul Gauguin returned to Tahiti in 1895 after spending two years in France. Nothing goes well. He is sick and crippled with debt. His wife broke up permanently. Their only daughter Aline, whom he has not seen since 1891, dies in 1897 at the age of 20. Disgusted with European civilization, he seeks new roots. He will write a little later that he wanted to commit suicide. His Polynesian art shifts from daily life to mystic.
He is fiercely committed to the work which he considers as the most important in his career : D'où venons-nous Que sommes-nous Où allons nous, without question mark as if he wanted to persuade himself that he brings the answers. This immense masterpiece, 140 x 375 cm, to read from right to left, stages the three ages of life played by Tahitian characters
Painted in Tahiti in 1897-1898, D'où venons-nous Qui sommes-nous Où allons-nous, which is conceived by the artist as his ultimate masterpiece, does not refer to Western religions. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
His life became a series of social woes. This uncompromising Christian rejects the Catholic teaching and liturgy but desires to interpret the mystery of life. At the time of the Christ Jaune, 1889, he surrounds the religious symbols with themes from modern life including his own self portrait.
His voluntary exile in Polynesia brings him a synthesis of Christianity and animism. From then Gauguin's art is no more exclusively Christian.
Paul Gauguin returned to Tahiti in 1895 after spending two years in France. Nothing goes well. He is sick and crippled with debt. His wife broke up permanently. Their only daughter Aline, whom he has not seen since 1891, dies in 1897 at the age of 20. Disgusted with European civilization, he seeks new roots. He will write a little later that he wanted to commit suicide. His Polynesian art shifts from daily life to mystic.
He is fiercely committed to the work which he considers as the most important in his career : D'où venons-nous Que sommes-nous Où allons nous, without question mark as if he wanted to persuade himself that he brings the answers. This immense masterpiece, 140 x 375 cm, to read from right to left, stages the three ages of life played by Tahitian characters
Painted in Tahiti in 1897-1898, D'où venons-nous Qui sommes-nous Où allons-nous, which is conceived by the artist as his ultimate masterpiece, does not refer to Western religions. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
1897 Te Bourao
2019 SOLD for € 9.5M by Artcurial
In the same period as the mystical masterpiece narrated above, Gauguin makes eight other paintings, which are not sketches but rather a support to clarify his thinking. The complete set is sent in 1898 for a solo exhibition at the Galerie Ambroise Vollard. Success does not come. This activity is however a point of no return in Gauguin's pictorial art, replacing the picturesque exoticism by an allegorical mysticism.
On December 3, 2019, Artcurial sold the only one of the nine works still in private hands for € 9.5M from a lower estimate of € 5M, lot 15. This oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm titled Te Bourao by the artist and dated 1897 has sometimes been named Paysage bleu. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The bourao is the hibiscus of Tahiti, considered as the joint creation of Earth and Paradise. It provides the ornamental flower of young women, worn on the left ear if the girl is married and on the right ear if she is single.
Te Bourao is entirely painted in dark blue and Veronese green, at the limit of readability. This harmony of muted colors is unique in this corpus of nine works. The only human presence is a rider who sneaks up to the top left corner, just where Gauguin will write the title of the final work, D'où venons-nous Qui sommes-nous Où allons-nous. Blue is a symbol of the afterlife and the bird in the foreground expresses the futility of words.
On December 3, 2019, Artcurial sold the only one of the nine works still in private hands for € 9.5M from a lower estimate of € 5M, lot 15. This oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm titled Te Bourao by the artist and dated 1897 has sometimes been named Paysage bleu. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The bourao is the hibiscus of Tahiti, considered as the joint creation of Earth and Paradise. It provides the ornamental flower of young women, worn on the left ear if the girl is married and on the right ear if she is single.
Te Bourao is entirely painted in dark blue and Veronese green, at the limit of readability. This harmony of muted colors is unique in this corpus of nine works. The only human presence is a rider who sneaks up to the top left corner, just where Gauguin will write the title of the final work, D'où venons-nous Qui sommes-nous Où allons-nous. Blue is a symbol of the afterlife and the bird in the foreground expresses the futility of words.
Artcurial Has €5m Tahitian Gauguin for December Sale in Paris https://t.co/WzyK61XI2E pic.twitter.com/Oh7VyAGAoC
— Art Market Monitor (@artmarket) October 11, 2019
1897 Le Boulevard Montmartre by PISSARRO
Intro
Le Boulevard Montmartre by Pissarro. Compare Matinée de printemps (sold by Sotheby's on February 5, 2014, lot 43) and Fin de journée (sold by Sotheby's on June 19, 2019, lot 9). Significance in the artist's career.
The Boulevard Montmartre Series by Camille Pissarro
Camille Pissarro painted his renowned Boulevard Montmartre series in 1897 from a room in the Grand Hôtel de Russie in Paris. The series consists of 14 canvases (plus a few related views) depicting the same bustling urban vista at different times of day, weather conditions, and seasons. This systematic exploration of light, atmosphere, and movement echoes Claude Monet's series (e.g., Haystacks or Rouen Cathedral) but focuses on the modern Parisian cityscape reshaped by Baron Haussmann's renovations.
Comparison: Matinée de printemps (1897) and Fin de journée (1897)
Both paintings share the identical viewpoint looking down the Boulevard Montmartre, capturing horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, trees, and grand buildings in Pissarro's lively Impressionist style with rapid, dappled brushstrokes conveying energy and transience.
Auction History
Though best known for rural landscapes and mentoring younger Impressionists (e.g., Cézanne, Gauguin), Pissarro shifted to urban series in the 1890s due to failing eyesight, which made plein-air work difficult. The Boulevard Montmartre series—along with later views of the Avenue de l'Opéra and Tuileries—marked a pivotal late-career triumph, establishing him as Impressionism's foremost painter of modern Paris. Critics and exhibitions (e.g., 1992–93 retrospective) hail it as his most innovative urban achievement, rivaling Monet's series in capturing fleeting effects while celebrating the vitality of fin-de-siècle city life. It reaffirmed his relevance in his final years (he died in 1903) and influenced perceptions of Impressionism's engagement with modernity.
The Boulevard Montmartre Series by Camille Pissarro
Camille Pissarro painted his renowned Boulevard Montmartre series in 1897 from a room in the Grand Hôtel de Russie in Paris. The series consists of 14 canvases (plus a few related views) depicting the same bustling urban vista at different times of day, weather conditions, and seasons. This systematic exploration of light, atmosphere, and movement echoes Claude Monet's series (e.g., Haystacks or Rouen Cathedral) but focuses on the modern Parisian cityscape reshaped by Baron Haussmann's renovations.
Comparison: Matinée de printemps (1897) and Fin de journée (1897)
Both paintings share the identical viewpoint looking down the Boulevard Montmartre, capturing horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, trees, and grand buildings in Pissarro's lively Impressionist style with rapid, dappled brushstrokes conveying energy and transience.
- Le Boulevard Montmartre, matinée de printemps ("Spring Morning"):
This depicts a fresh spring morning with soft, diffused sunlight and emerging greenery on the trees. The palette features vibrant greens, yellows, blues, and pinks, evoking optimism and renewal. The scene feels bright and lively, with a sense of awakening urban activity. Pissarro particularly favored this work, intending it for an international exhibition. - Le Boulevard Montmartre, fin de journée ("End of Day" or "Late Afternoon/Setting Sun"):
This captures the warm glow of late afternoon or early evening sunlight, with the street and trees bathed in golden-orange hues. The light creates long shadows, a softer diffusion, and a tranquil yet winding-down atmosphere amid lingering bustle. The palette shifts to warmer tones—pinks, oranges, and pale blues in the sky—contrasting the morning's freshness with a sense of closure.
- Lighting and mood — Morning version: crisp, invigorating daylight symbolizing beginnings; End-of-day version: warmer, fading light evoking calm and transition to evening.
- Color and atmosphere — Cooler, vibrant tones in spring morning vs. warmer, glowing hues in late day.
- Activity — Both show bustling traffic, but the end-of-day feels slightly more subdued due to shadows and softening light.
Auction History
- Matinée de printemps sold at Sotheby's London (February 5, 2014, lot 43) for £19.68 million (then ~$32 million), setting a record for Pissarro. It had a poignant provenance, looted by Nazis from Jewish collector Max Silberberg and restituted in 2000.
- Fin de journée sold at Sotheby's London (June 19, 2019, lot 9) under a settlement related to another forced sale during the Nazi era.
Though best known for rural landscapes and mentoring younger Impressionists (e.g., Cézanne, Gauguin), Pissarro shifted to urban series in the 1890s due to failing eyesight, which made plein-air work difficult. The Boulevard Montmartre series—along with later views of the Avenue de l'Opéra and Tuileries—marked a pivotal late-career triumph, establishing him as Impressionism's foremost painter of modern Paris. Critics and exhibitions (e.g., 1992–93 retrospective) hail it as his most innovative urban achievement, rivaling Monet's series in capturing fleeting effects while celebrating the vitality of fin-de-siècle city life. It reaffirmed his relevance in his final years (he died in 1903) and influenced perceptions of Impressionism's engagement with modernity.
1
matinée de printemps
2014 SOLD for £ 19.7M by Sotheby's
For a new series of views of Paris, Pissarro moves in February 1897 to the Grand Hôtel de Russie. Throughout several weeks he observes through the window the whole perspective of the boulevard Montmartre, with its interminable double procession of carriages, the walkers on the sidewalk, the reappearance of the leaves in early spring, the gas burners to illuminate the night.
Pissarro painted fourteen oils on canvas in an identical topography. He indeed knows to capture the essence of a moment.
His spring morning with the gas nozzle still lit, the shy sun onto the wet street and the early leaves that do not hide the branches is one of the best views of the series. This oil on canvas 65 x 81 cm was sold for £ 19.7M from a lower estimate of £ 7M by Sotheby's on February 5, 2014, lot 43. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Pissarro painted fourteen oils on canvas in an identical topography. He indeed knows to capture the essence of a moment.
His spring morning with the gas nozzle still lit, the shy sun onto the wet street and the early leaves that do not hide the branches is one of the best views of the series. This oil on canvas 65 x 81 cm was sold for £ 19.7M from a lower estimate of £ 7M by Sotheby's on February 5, 2014, lot 43. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
2
fin de journée
2019 SOLD for £ 7.1M by Sotheby's
Fin de journée, 54 x 65 cm, was sold for £ 7.1M from a lower estimate of £ 3.5M by Sotheby's on June 19, 2019, lot 9.
#AuctionUpdate Brilliantly evoking the excitement of Paris at the fin-de-siécle, Camille Pissarro’s Boulevard Montmartre, fin de journée from 1897 – bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun – brings £7.1 million, besting its £5 million high est pic.twitter.com/FDc7YCBZJv
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) June 19, 2019
1897 MONET
1
Matinée sur la Seine
2017 SOLD for $ 23.4M by Christie's
In 1896 and 1897 the summer and the beginning of autumn are very rainy. Monet finishes only four paintings of the Matinée sur la Seine at the end of this season. One of them, 89 x 92 cm, was sold for $ 20.5M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2018, lot 15. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The poor weather brings soft contrasts without saturating the shadows.
Monet returned to the same river bank in 1897 without changing anything in his creative process from the previous year, bringing the total of the Matinées to 22 paintings. One of them on which the sun rays are just reaching the trees in the background, also 89 x 92 cm, was sold for $ 23.4M by Christie's on November 13, 2017, lot 26A.
An example on which the sun rays are just reaching the trees in the background, also 89 x 92 cm, was sold for $ 23.4M from a lower estimate of $ 15M by Christie's on November 13, 2017, lot 26A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Monet returned to the same river bank in 1897 without changing anything in his creative process from the previous year, bringing the total of the Matinées to 22 paintings. One of them on which the sun rays are just reaching the trees in the background, also 89 x 92 cm, was sold for $ 23.4M by Christie's on November 13, 2017, lot 26A.
An example on which the sun rays are just reaching the trees in the background, also 89 x 92 cm, was sold for $ 23.4M from a lower estimate of $ 15M by Christie's on November 13, 2017, lot 26A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
Matinée sur la Seine, temps net
2024 SOLD for £ 14.4M by Christie's
Painted in 1897, an oil on canvas 82 x 92 cm from the Matinée sur la Seine series is subtitled Temps net, meaning without mist or fog. It was sold for £ 14.4M from a lower estimate of £ 12M by Christie's on March 7, 2024, lot 15. The image is shared by Wikimedia. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
3
Massif de Chrysanthèmes
2022 SOLD for £ 8.3M by Sotheby's
Monet is an amateur but careful and skilled gardener.
As for painting, the small series of four Massif de chrysanthèmes is a breakthrough, in 1897. The top down view in close up eliminates the horizon for a full vertical filling of the flower bed in brilliant colors without peripheral details or perspective effect. An oil on canvas 130 x 89 cm was sold for £ 8.3M by Sotheby's on March 2, 2022, lot 118.
Note that the image available in Wikimedia with the W1498 reference is inverted.
As for painting, the small series of four Massif de chrysanthèmes is a breakthrough, in 1897. The top down view in close up eliminates the horizon for a full vertical filling of the flower bed in brilliant colors without peripheral details or perspective effect. An oil on canvas 130 x 89 cm was sold for £ 8.3M by Sotheby's on March 2, 2022, lot 118.
Note that the image available in Wikimedia with the W1498 reference is inverted.
#AuctionUpdate: Claude Monet's 'Massif de chrysanthèmes' sells for £8.3 million to the Sotheby's Asia desk. #SothebysModern pic.twitter.com/RNpsDFlyPx
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) March 2, 2022
1897 Eve by Rodin
2008 SOLD for $ 19M by Christie's
In 1880, when Rodin received the commission for the Porte de l'Enfer, he was already working on his Creation of Man which he exhibited at the 1881 Salon. This Adam after sin expresses supreme repentance, standing with his head down and dangling arms. Expecting a complement to the order, he proposes to adjoin the Gate with Adam and Eve in life size.
He is preparing his Eve au Rocher with a small plaster model. The modest position of the arms voluntarily annihilates the eroticism of nudity, which suits academic and religious traditions. The shape of the body carefully takes into account the anatomy of the muscles under the skin.
Rodin does not get the additional order. He drives out the primordial couple from his Hell and abandons his Eve. He takes up this theme in the mid-1890s for a life-size sculpture, with the same attitude and another woman. He wants perfection and does not understand why he has to rework the lines of the body with each new session. He did not know that his role model for the sinful woman had started a pregnancy.
On May 6, 2008, Christie's sold an Eve in the version without the rock for $ 19M from a lower estimate of $ 9M, lot 15. This bronze 1.73 m high with brown patina was cast by François Rudier in 1897 with the inscription Première Epreuve.
In the following year the Balzac is refused by the Société des Gens de Lettres. The collector Auguste Pellerin wants to help Rodin and offers to buy the object of the scandal. Rodin prefers to wait. He keeps his Balzac and sells his Eve Première Epreuve to Pellerin.
He is preparing his Eve au Rocher with a small plaster model. The modest position of the arms voluntarily annihilates the eroticism of nudity, which suits academic and religious traditions. The shape of the body carefully takes into account the anatomy of the muscles under the skin.
Rodin does not get the additional order. He drives out the primordial couple from his Hell and abandons his Eve. He takes up this theme in the mid-1890s for a life-size sculpture, with the same attitude and another woman. He wants perfection and does not understand why he has to rework the lines of the body with each new session. He did not know that his role model for the sinful woman had started a pregnancy.
On May 6, 2008, Christie's sold an Eve in the version without the rock for $ 19M from a lower estimate of $ 9M, lot 15. This bronze 1.73 m high with brown patina was cast by François Rudier in 1897 with the inscription Première Epreuve.
In the following year the Balzac is refused by the Société des Gens de Lettres. The collector Auguste Pellerin wants to help Rodin and offers to buy the object of the scandal. Rodin prefers to wait. He keeps his Balzac and sells his Eve Première Epreuve to Pellerin.
1897 The Tribute by Deutsch
2019 SOLD for £ 4.3M by Sotheby's
At the end of the 1870s, Rudolf Ernst and Ludwig Deutsch leave Vienna for a career in Paris. They specialize in Orientalist painting, characterized by a photographic realism and by a painstaking pictorial technique. Ernst will be mostly inspired by Morocco and Turkey and Deutsch by Egypt.
Deutsch paints types of picturesque characters, based on the photos from his travels. He uses the oil on polished panels for his sharpest compositions.
On October 22, 2019, Sotheby's sold for £ 4.3M from a lower estimate of £ 1.5M a panel 70 x 100 cm painted by Ludwig Deutsch, lot 15.
An elderly dignitary walks towards the steps of a palace with sumptuous walls. He carries a closed scroll that defines his tribute to an invisible lord. He is followed at a distance by a nobleman, a soldier, and a slave bringing a big box which can only contain some offerings.
Other characters complete this scene which is unusually complex for this artist. A towering, heavily armed Nubian soldier blocks the entrance to the palace. The dramatic effect is obtained by the uncertainty about the reception that will be made to the delegation. Unrelated to the action, the group of a dealer and two customers increase this exotic fancy.
A 62 x 80 cm panel similar up to its tiny details was sold by Sotheby's for £ 2.15M on April 23, 2013. This painting is dated 1897. It seems likely that this example was made by Deutsch for the Paris Salon before he painted for a customer the other copy. Curiously, these two artworks do not seem to be identified by titles in French.
Deutsch paints types of picturesque characters, based on the photos from his travels. He uses the oil on polished panels for his sharpest compositions.
On October 22, 2019, Sotheby's sold for £ 4.3M from a lower estimate of £ 1.5M a panel 70 x 100 cm painted by Ludwig Deutsch, lot 15.
An elderly dignitary walks towards the steps of a palace with sumptuous walls. He carries a closed scroll that defines his tribute to an invisible lord. He is followed at a distance by a nobleman, a soldier, and a slave bringing a big box which can only contain some offerings.
Other characters complete this scene which is unusually complex for this artist. A towering, heavily armed Nubian soldier blocks the entrance to the palace. The dramatic effect is obtained by the uncertainty about the reception that will be made to the delegation. Unrelated to the action, the group of a dealer and two customers increase this exotic fancy.
A 62 x 80 cm panel similar up to its tiny details was sold by Sotheby's for £ 2.15M on April 23, 2013. This painting is dated 1897. It seems likely that this example was made by Deutsch for the Paris Salon before he painted for a customer the other copy. Curiously, these two artworks do not seem to be identified by titles in French.
#AuctionUpdate Bidders pay tribute to Ludwig Deutsch, as this exquisite painting doubles his previous auction record to bring £4,298,400 pic.twitter.com/3kCtiIRQ17
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 22, 2019
1897 Trois Danseuses by Degas
2025 SOLD for $ 5.8M by Sotheby's
Trois Danseuses, pastel on tracing paper mounted on card 67 x 51 cm executed by Degas ca 1897, was sold for $ 5.8M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by Sotheby's on November 20, 2025, lot 126.
Asking Grok to compare with a later Trois Danseuses (ca 1900) sold by Christie's on May 14, 2015, lot 16C.
Grok thought :
Comparison of Two Notable "Trois Danseuses" Pastels by Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas (1834–1917) created numerous works titled or subtitled Trois danseuses (Three Dancers) throughout his career, particularly in pastel, his preferred medium for ballet subjects in his later years. These often depict ballerinas in rehearsal, preparation, or performance poses, with variations in composition, color, pose, and costume. Degas frequently revisited motifs serially, refining poses and experimenting with vibrant hues and layered application.Here are the two specific works referenced, based on auction records:
1. Trois danseuses – Sotheby's New York, Modern Evening Auction, November 20, 2025, Lot 126
AspectSotheby's 2025 (Lot 126)Christie's 2015 (Lot 16C)
Composition
Earlier : three dancers; typically rehearsal/prep, asymmetrical grouping
Later : Three dancers in tutus; frieze-like, with arms raised or adjusted poses; focus on harmony and color contrast
Color Palette
Earlier : Vibrant, luminous (Degas's signature late intensity)
Later : Bold primaries/contrasts (e.g., yellow/blue/red skirts, green bodices common in series)
Technique
Earlier : Heavy pastel layering, hatching for volume and light
Later : Similar layered/opaque pastel; experimental, almost sculptural texture
Theme
Earlier : Backstage ballet life, movement frozen in time
Later : Same – emphasis on grace, effort, and artificiality of dance
Differences
Earlier : Unique pose variation
Later : More horizontal emphasis in some related series works; known for classical inspiration (e.g., echoes of The Three Graces)
Similarities
Both quintessential late Degas: obsession with ballet, serial exploration, radiant color, and psychological depth in "everyday" dancer moments
Degas produced dozens of "three dancers" variations, often without fixed titles – many share motifs but differ in orientation (e.g., dancers facing left/right), costume details, and background abstraction. The two works considered here are distinct pieces from this rich late oeuvre, where Degas's vision grew bolder, more abstract, and color-saturated as his eyesight declined. Both exemplify why his dancer pastels remain among the most sought-after Impressionist works: they capture fleeting grace with monumental presence.
Asking Grok to compare with a later Trois Danseuses (ca 1900) sold by Christie's on May 14, 2015, lot 16C.
Grok thought :
Comparison of Two Notable "Trois Danseuses" Pastels by Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas (1834–1917) created numerous works titled or subtitled Trois danseuses (Three Dancers) throughout his career, particularly in pastel, his preferred medium for ballet subjects in his later years. These often depict ballerinas in rehearsal, preparation, or performance poses, with variations in composition, color, pose, and costume. Degas frequently revisited motifs serially, refining poses and experimenting with vibrant hues and layered application.Here are the two specific works referenced, based on auction records:
1. Trois danseuses – Sotheby's New York, Modern Evening Auction, November 20, 2025, Lot 126
- Date of execution: Degas's late dancer pastels typically date from c. 1895–1910.
- Medium: Pastel (likely on paper or joined paper, mounted as was common for Degas).
- Description/Provenance highlights: aligns with Degas's iconic late-style ballerina groups – bold colors, dynamic poses, and luminous effects. Provenance traces back through private collections; many such works originated from Degas's atelier sales (1918–1919).
- Style notes: vibrant, expressive application typical of Degas's mature pastels, emphasizing movement, tutus in contrasting colors (e.g., yellow skirts, green/red bodices), and off-center framing.
- Date of execution: c. 1900–1905 (late period).
- Medium: Pastel on joined paper laid down on board.
- Dimensions: Approximately 25–26 inches in height/width (similar scale to many late Degas dancer pastels).
- Description: Depicts three ballerinas in tutus, often in preparatory or resting poses, with rich, saturated colors (e.g., variations in skirt hues like yellow, blue, or red; bodices in contrasting tones). This work belongs to Degas's series exploring frieze-like arrangements of dancers, with bold hatching, layered pastel for texture, and a sense of intimacy/backstage atmosphere.
- Provenance highlights: From Degas's estate/atelier sales; passed through notable collectors. Comparable to works like Trois danseuses (jupes bleues, corsages rouges) (c. 1903, Fondation Beyeler) or other late serial variations.
AspectSotheby's 2025 (Lot 126)Christie's 2015 (Lot 16C)
Composition
Earlier : three dancers; typically rehearsal/prep, asymmetrical grouping
Later : Three dancers in tutus; frieze-like, with arms raised or adjusted poses; focus on harmony and color contrast
Color Palette
Earlier : Vibrant, luminous (Degas's signature late intensity)
Later : Bold primaries/contrasts (e.g., yellow/blue/red skirts, green bodices common in series)
Technique
Earlier : Heavy pastel layering, hatching for volume and light
Later : Similar layered/opaque pastel; experimental, almost sculptural texture
Theme
Earlier : Backstage ballet life, movement frozen in time
Later : Same – emphasis on grace, effort, and artificiality of dance
Differences
Earlier : Unique pose variation
Later : More horizontal emphasis in some related series works; known for classical inspiration (e.g., echoes of The Three Graces)
Similarities
Both quintessential late Degas: obsession with ballet, serial exploration, radiant color, and psychological depth in "everyday" dancer moments
Degas produced dozens of "three dancers" variations, often without fixed titles – many share motifs but differ in orientation (e.g., dancers facing left/right), costume details, and background abstraction. The two works considered here are distinct pieces from this rich late oeuvre, where Degas's vision grew bolder, more abstract, and color-saturated as his eyesight declined. Both exemplify why his dancer pastels remain among the most sought-after Impressionist works: they capture fleeting grace with monumental presence.
1897 The Stony Beach by Prendergast
2001 SOLD for $ 3.5M by Christie's
Maurice Prendergast is back to Boston in 1895 from Paris where he attended art schools.
This highly independent artist selects as his preferred theme the groups of Americans in leisure parks or beach holidays. His watercolors are painted in a dense mosaic pattern that includes bright colors, influenced by Cézanne's compositions. He also produced monotypes.
The Stony Beach, featuring a crowded beach in Massachusetts, is dominated by the red spots of the parasols, the orange and brown boulders and the immaculate white of the dresses.
This watercolor on paper 53 x 35.6 cm executed ca 1897 was sold for $ 3.5M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Christie's on May 23, 2001, lot 11.
This highly independent artist selects as his preferred theme the groups of Americans in leisure parks or beach holidays. His watercolors are painted in a dense mosaic pattern that includes bright colors, influenced by Cézanne's compositions. He also produced monotypes.
The Stony Beach, featuring a crowded beach in Massachusetts, is dominated by the red spots of the parasols, the orange and brown boulders and the immaculate white of the dresses.
This watercolor on paper 53 x 35.6 cm executed ca 1897 was sold for $ 3.5M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Christie's on May 23, 2001, lot 11.
