Copenhagen, DENMARK – Cutting edge scientific techniques revealed new information to the public about a century-old French Impressionist painting by Edgar Degas.
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An exhibition called “Degas’ Obsession” at the New Carlsberg Glyptotek, a Copenhagen art museum, explains the recent discoveries behind the Dancers Practicing in the Foyer.
Degas, a French Impressionist, often painted ballet scenes and ballerinas.
The exhibition centered on the dating of the painting. It explored the research and process taken to discover the more accurate date of this piece. Information included in the exhibit and provided by the museum explained the investigation and what it uncovered.
The team’s findings show that Degas likely began work on the painting as early as the 1870s, making it one of his first. He continued to revise the Dancers Practicing in the Foyer possibly until 1900.
There is no certainty about the dates, but the team of investigators used macro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, a new and highly advanced technique, to find out what they could.
They removed the art from the canvas to conserve the painting, and they made discoveries there as well.
They found traces of a stamp which belonged to Jérome Ottoz – who sold artist’s materials in Paris between 1859-1870 – on the back of the canvas.
This same stamp has been found on Degas’ works from 1870-1872 and 1876, which led them to the conclusion that Dancers Practicing in the Foyer was produced much earlier.
Another giveaway for the team was the lithograph of the painting, which was commissioned in 1888, but it was produced without the dancers that are seen in today’s version.
This led the researchers to believe that the work was important to Degas, who overpainted it many times.
The Degas discoveries were part of a May 8 dual opening reception at the museum, which also showcased a collaboration between French artist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) and contemporary Japaneese-Sāmoan artist Yuki Kihar (b. 1975).
The collaborative work on display was the museum’s debut video piece called First Impressions: Paul Gauguin by Kihar.
The video features Tahitian people who discuss Gauguin’s art – he painted many Tahitians – in a talk show format.
According to the museum, both Kihara and the talk show participants belong to the Fa’afafine and Fa’atama communities, the Sāmoan counterparts to Māhū, a Tahitian term referring to individuals “endowed with spiritual gifts from more than one gender.”
The opening reception featured a lot of ‘50s and ‘60s French music, a French-inspired dinner and a concert about obsession.
The Degas exhibit closes November 29, 2026 and the Kihar exhibit runs through December 6, 2026.
The New Carlsberg Glyptotek is the private collection of the late Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of Carlsberg Breweries, which is based in Copenhagen.
Noah Haynes is a Senior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
