Subject Matter In Ballet School By Edgar Degas

Learning to look is important because, it helps us understand what the picture is trying to express to the viewer. Expressive content is the combination of subject matter and visual form. Visual form is how the colors, mood, lines and textures work together. Subject matter is the objects and incidents represented in the art. Our painting, Ballet School, by Edgar Degas, uses expressive content by combining subject matter, color, and lines to form the wonderful work of art.
Subject matter is the objects and incidents represented in the painting. In the painting, girls are preparing for dance class in the bottom right corner. They are lacing up their ballet shoes and preparing for the dance class that is ahead of them. On the left side, there
When you first look at the painting your eye goes to the red jacket that one of the ballerinas in the front has on. Next you can see the bright color ribbons each ballerinas has on, none have the same color. The bright contrast of the colored ribbons and the white tutus makes the ribbons pop and attracts your eyes. The dark walls in the background of the ballerinas also makes the ballerinas stand out and draws your eyes towards them because of the color contrast of light and dark. With all the contrast of light and dark colors, but mostly light colors, it gives it a relaxed look. Especially with the bright light coming into the window on the left, giving it a more lighter, happier and relaxed feeling. Because of all the contrast in colors your eyes travel from the front of the painting to the back and then from the right of the painting to the left because of the bright red being the most dominant color in the front right and then the color split in the back of the dark brown and yellow leading your eye to the girls stretching and dancing in the back of the picture. Overall the variety of colors used throughout the painting give the picture a realistic feel and helps in telling what is going on in the