9 famous works of art dedicated to dance for the International Dance Day

April 29 is the International Dance Day: High form of artistic expression itself, dance has had a ritual, participatory and intrinsically cultural function for centuries. There is no wonder, therefore, that it was A source of deep inspiration for artists from all over the world and of all eraswho dedicated their efforts with paintings, sculptures, graphic works, musical compositions and performances, but also photographs and films. Which are the most famous and appreciated, from Bruegel to Blakepassing through Degas And Matisse until Lichtenstein And Keith Haring.

1. The wedding dance of Pieter Bruegel il Vecchio

Dated 1566 and preserved in Detroit Institute of Arts“The wedding dance” of Pieter Bruegel the old man It represents a frenetic wedding party. Representing a very interesting glimpse of the rural world of his native land, Holland, the painter has fun representing the day of celebration in detail with a strong characterization (at times caricatured) and intense shades of red and green, among which the white headphones stand out.

2. Oberon, Titania and Puck with dance fairies, by William Blake

Pioneer of the visual arts of the romantic period, William Blake He chose as the subject of this famous watercolor “Oberon, Titania and Puck with dance fairies” the last scene of the “Dream of a midsummer night“By Shakespeare. The final scene of the work sees the characters of the painting blessing everyone with good wishes and good luck, with the spirit of Puck who explains to the public how the events of the work itself are nothing more than a dream. The Shakespeareana comedy also inspired a very popular balletespecially in the version of the choreographer George Balanchine in the 60s of the twentieth century.

3. Pietro Longhi, the dance lesson

Looking at “the dance lesson” of Pietro Longhi of 1741 It seems to enter the comedies of Carlo Goldoni. The protagonists of this scene are the representatives of the different social classes of the Serenissima: the artist observes the society of time with lucid precision with an enlightenment attitude. The role of the woman who enjoys an uncommon freedom in Venice is central.

4. The degas dancers

There are few artists who, like Edgar Degashave been fascinated by dance. The Arista has accumulated Sculptures and many paintings dedicated to balletand over half of his artistic production depicts dancers on stage, during evidence or rest, also capturing the relationships of power between wealthy customers and dancers, often forced to prostitution. Among his works on the topic, the most famous is “the dance school”, the work born initially as Commission for the French lyrical singer Jean-Baptiste Fauré Between 1871 and 1874.

5. Bal au moulin de la Galette, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

He is another Impressionist who has in turn gone to history for his famous dance scenes. Pierre – Auguste Renoir He made great paintings with countryside and city couples while dancing, but above all the great “Bal au moulin de la Galette”, of 1876. Preserved in the important Musée d’Orsay in Paris, this work portrays a Viva Caffè della Parigi of the 19th centuryfavorite meeting of poets, writers and artists of the time, such as Vincent Van Gogh.

6. Dance at Moulin Rouge, by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

“Ball at Moulin Rouge” of 1890 It is a window on the famous ballroom, the Moulin Rougein Paris, at the time of his inauguration. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec capture the moment immersed in the crowd to immortalize the dancers and the different figures that are around the large room. We are in full Belle Époque, and the Parisian society is changing quickly: the French painter captures these changes with vivid flashes of color, and with a graphic taste that will be very successful.

7. Rodin and dance

Another artist who suffered the charm of dance and has shown it throughout his artistic production, between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, is the French sculptor Augustan Rodin. If dance was a real inspiring muse for the artist, on the other hand contemporary dance still finds inspiration from the artist through his works today.

8. Dance (II), by Henri Matisse

The two oil paintings of the French painter Henri Matisse depicting four dancing figures, of which the most famous is “Dance (II)” of 1910they are inspired by the composition of Blake. Dance (II) is the second painting made by Matisse, following a preliminary compositional study, the work is still highly appreciated for its dreamlike quality and for the intense use of color.

9. Dance in the world, Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring

Many other artists from all over the world have dedicated works to the dance: in Indiafor example, there is a very rich tradition of representation of dance; While in China and Japan The dance itself has been regulated until it makes a refined art, and the same thing as the same can be said African continent. And it is not just about looking at the past: we have great examples of active artists in the last fifty years who have made dance their subject. Two famous examples: Roy Lichtenstein with “Study of the artist” La Dance “a painting from 1974 that incorporates Matisse figures within the view of his study through the pop art lens; And Keith Haring, who has dedicated many works on canvas, graffiti and murals to dance (often in community perspective), than in his “Untitled (Dance)“From 1987 it represents five dancers with bright primary colors and decisive lines that transmit a sense of movement and a great vitality.