Edgar Degas Ethos

To explain stereotyping and objectification, I will use Edgar Degas' art as a case study and explore the darker side of his ballerina paintings. Degas was an artist who studied at the Academy of Arts in Paris in the 1870s and became famous for painting in the impressionist style, particularly for his ballerina paintings (My Modern Met, 2018). However, behind the beautiful façade of his paintings, lies a deeper, darker truth about the exploitation of ballerinas, particularly young girls. The ballerinas in the 19th century entered the academy of dance as young children and underwent aggressive training at the opera dance school. After years of brutal exams, they could be guaranteed long-term employment contracts (Fiore, 2021). These ballerinas, known as "petite rats" (or "little rats"), were vulnerable to social and sexual exploitation by wealthy male subscribers known as Abbons, who held an unequal power dynamic over them. These subscribers objectified the ballerinas, viewing them as mere objects to fulfil their pleasures and take advantage of them due to their poor economic background.

Edgar Degas frequently uses ballerinas as the central theme in his works, which challenges the academic traditions of art-making by revealing the behind-the-scenes reality of Parisian life (Edgar Degas, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1878–1881; no date). For instance, Degas' sculpture titled "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" (1878–1881) showcases the challenges and struggles of young girls aspiring to become ballet dancers, and it was defined as "repulsive," "vicious," and "a menace to civilization" (Edgar Degas, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1878–1881, no date). Degas portrays the ballerinas as youthful, simple, innocent, fragile, and delicate, essentializing them as