Dancers Practicing at the Bar

Although the dancers appear to be casually observed, the composition was meticulously worked out. The artist’s fascination with form and structure is reflected in the analogy between the watering can (used to wet down the dust on the studio floor) and the dancer at the right. The handle on the side imitates her left arm, the handle at the top mimics her head, and the spout approximates her right arm and raised leg. Later in life Degas regretted this visual joke and wished to paint out the can, but the owner of the canvas, a friend of the artist, refused to allow Degas to retouch it.