On Stage I

1876 · Print

May one see it?

Not receiving at present

National Gallery of Art

Washington, D.C., United States

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked: 10 days ago
In this state since: Aug 19, 2026
Source: The museum

On the map Museum page

Particulars

Accession number: 1943.3.3364

What it shows

Dancer Musical instrument Dress Figures

In the catalog

Prints Etching Realism Impressionism 19th century French Impressionist

Sources

National Gallery of Art
Image: National Gallery of Art — Museum open access

Meanwhile, in the life of Edgar Degas

The whole life

1870s
From “de Gas” back to plain “Degas”
The archives disproved the legend of an ancient noble line: the artist's paternal ancestors were bakers, and the name “de Gas” was invented by his father, who commissioned a false genealogy. In the 1870s Edgar returned to the plain spelling, Degas.
1873–1874
His brother's debts: he sells his house and collection
After his father's death Degas learned that his brother René had run up enormous business debts. To save the family's reputation he sold his house and an inherited art collection and for the first time in his life depended on sales of his own work.
1874
The first Impressionist exhibition
Disenchanted with the Salon, Degas joined a group of young artists organizing an independent exhibiting society. He took a leading role in organizing the eight shows of 1874–1886 and exhibited in all but one, despite constant conflicts with the group.
13 February 1874
Goncourt notes Degas's laundresses and dancers
Edmond de Goncourt wrote in his diary that Degas had chosen laundresses and dancers as his chief modern subjects, finding in their fabrics an occasion for light and delicate tones. After visiting the studio he called Degas the man who best caught the soul of modern life.
mid-1870s
Back to etching, and monotype
After a ten-year break Degas returned to etching, at first guided by his old friend Ludovic-Napoléon Lepic, and began experimenting with lithography and monotype; he produced some 300 monotypes.
1877
Friendship with Mary Cassatt
Degas invited Mary Cassatt to show in the third Impressionist exhibition, having admired her portrait “Ida” at the Salon of 1874. He introduced her to pastel and engraving, while she helped him sell paintings and promoted his reputation in the United States.