Halvorsen, London (acquired in 1921)
H. O. Havemeyer, New York
Ruth S. & David M. Heyman, New York (and sold by the estate: Christie's, New York, May 16, 1984, lot 13)
Acquired at the above sale

New York, Durand-Ruel Galleries, Exposition Degas, 1922
London, Ernest Brown & Phillips Leicester Galleries, Exhibition of the Works in Sculpture of Edgar Degas, 1923, no. 22
Rome, Casa Editrice d'Arte Enzo Pinci, Seconda Biennale Romana, Mostra Internazionale di Belle Arti. Sculture di Edgar Degas 1834-1917, 1923-24
Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, Exposition Degas, au profit de la Ligue franco-anglo-américaine contre le cancer: peintures, pastels et dessins, sculptures, eaux-fortes, lithographies et monotypes, 1924, no. 274
New York, Ferargil Galleries, Sculptures of Edgar Degas, 1925, no. 22
New York, Jacques Seligmann & Co., Exhibition of Bronzes and Drawings by Degas, 1935, no. 20
New York, Anderson Galleries, Degas, 1937, no. 211
New York, Bucholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), Edgar Degas: Bronzes, Drawings and Pastels, 1945, no. 16 (titled as Dancer at Rest)

Charles W. Millard, The Sculptures of Edgar Degas, Princeton, 1976, no. 47, illustrated n.p.
John Rewald, Degas, Complete Sculpture, Catalogue Raisonné, San Francisco, 1990, no. XXII, illustration of another cast pp. 82-83
Anne Pingeot & Frank Horvat, Degas Sculptures, Paris, 1991, no. 24, illustration of another cast p. 164
Sarah Campbell, Apollo, London, August 1995, illustration of another cast p. 30
Joseph Czestochowski & Anne Pingeot, Degas Sculptures: Catalogue Raisonné of the Bronzes, Memphis, 2002-03, no. 41, illustrations of another cast pp. 200-01

The bronze is in very good condition. Features a textured greenish black and golden brown patina. A slight nailhead-sized scuff is visible to the figure's left breast and even less visibly to the back of her right shoulder. There is also some light rubbing to the head and there is a little surface dirt within the deeper crevices of the cast. Otherwise fine.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Throughout his career, Degas constantly experimented with rendering the form of the dancer in various poses. The three-dimensional medium of sculpture offered him the most possibilities for capturing the grace and beauty of these figures and for exploring the seemingly boundless flexibility of their bodies.

Enlivened by the play of light over its irregular surface, the present bronze cast registers the successive layers of wax applied by the artist. Unlike academic sculptures of the period with their smooth and lifeless finishes, the record of Degas' touch animates the sculpture and suggests the vitality of the creative act. As the artist stated, "It was for my own satisfaction that I modeled horses and people in wax, not to abandon painting and drawing, but to give my paintings and drawings more expression, more ardor, and more life" (quoted in R. Pickvance, Degas Sculptor (exhibition catalogue), Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 1991, p. 14). Degas often began his ballet compositions with dancers posed nude and argued that he needed to model his dancers in three dimensions because "in a drawing alone one only had a silhouette without body, without the effect of mass, without volumes" (ibid., p. 14).