-
He seems to have realized that this assertive stroke stabilized the figure, suggesting a downward pull, rather than defiance of gravity, since the feet in the other studies and the finished painting are neatly crossed at the ankles and pulled back to imply motion.
WSJ: A Dizzying Artistic Feat | Edgar Degas | Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando | By Karen Wilkin
-
The painting is unique, not just because of the hospital setting but because Joe forgot to remove some of the pencil markings after he had finished the painting.
BBC: Joe Scarborough's Sheffield Children's Hospital print
-
Strangely, they diminish, rather than intensify, the spatial drama, which is undoubtedly why Degas chose to create the space of his finished painting more succinctly, abruptly contrasting the figure, asymmetrically placed at the upper left of the canvas, with the arena's upper reaches.
WSJ: A Dizzying Artistic Feat | Edgar Degas | Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando | By Karen Wilkin