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Little Dancer Aged Fourteen: The True Story Behind Degas's Masterpiece

by Camille Laurens
Other. Nov. 2018. 176p. illus. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9781590519585. $22.95; ebk. ISBN 9781590519592.FINE ARTS
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With this well-researched rumination, novelist and essayist Laurens contemplates the backstory of the Edgar Degas sculpture Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. The original statue that debuted in 1881 was made of wax, with real hair and clothes, much like a doll. Marie Genevieve Van Goethem, the subject of the work, was an impoverished young dancer for the Paris Opera who modeled for Degas. Enlisting the help of a librarian at the Paris Archives, Laurens delved deep into the record to reconstruct Van Goethem's life, weaving art history and French culture into the narrative. Not all of the author's theories are verifiable, but her ideas are intriguing—she explores how we regard the sculpture, how Van Goethem may have felt, and her expression.
VERDICT Laurens's fascination with her subject brings this universally recognized piece of art to life. Recommended for all libraries, particularly those with art history and dance collections.
Reviewed by Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO , Oct 15, 2018
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