Beyond Ballet: Dance with an Apple
7:00 AM |
| Jean-Leon Gerome, Dancer with an Apple, 1890 |
Beyond Ballet
By ELLIE SCHNEIDER
I wanted to include a sculpture in this project to show how dancing is depicted in multiple mediums of art. After searching throughout WikiArt’s database, I found this sculpture. When I saw it, I knew I would include it in my project, because of the similarities between this dancer and the one in El Jaleo.
Jean-Leon Gerome uses bronze to make this woman come to life. She pushes off of her left foot as her left hand draws her dress upward. She holds an apple near her mouth in her right hand, as her right foot prepares for landing. Despite being made of bronze, the girl appears weightless in this moment. I find it amazing how Gerome can portray such movement with metal. The attention to detail in this sculpture is amazing. Gerome uses intricate drapery to show movement in the cloth. The woman looks well-proportioned and extremely detailed.
I felt that this was a good work to end on, because it reminds me of the flamenco dancer in El Jaleo that inspired my project. Both of the women draw their arms up and move with the music. The sculpture looks as if the flamenco dancer has come to life.
During this project, I realized the importance of moving with a purpose. With dancing and with painting, all of the works show the dancers moving for a reason. Two of the works show groups of people moving in a circular fashion. One piece shows two girls stretching to then help their dancing abilities. Then, the women in El Jaleo and Dancer with an Apple move in an intentional manner.
Throughout my past two years in art history class I have learned about all different mediums of art from different time periods. By curating this collection of dance in art, I have found that similar to painting or sculpting, dancers are purposeful in their movements. The process for dancers and choreographers matches that of painters and sculptures. Now, I truly realize why dancing is considered an art form.
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