Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Dancer seen in profile, 1878-1880, gouache, charcoal and white chalk on blue paper, studio stamp, 27x21 cm We would like to thank Michel Schulman for confirming the authenticity of this drawing, which will be listed under number 3744 in the forthcoming digital catalogue raisonné of Degas's drawings. Provenance: Sale Atelier Degas, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 3rd state, sale of 7-9 April, 1919, cat. exp. p. 95, lot 115.1, ill., Collection Jules Strauss, Sale of the Collection Jules Strauss, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 15 December 1932, cat. exp. p. 5-6, lot 4, ill., C. de Hauke &, Cie, New York ('), Collection of an art lover close to the Picasso heirs. Exhibition: Galerie Robert Schmit, Paris, May-June 1975, no. 64, cat expo, ill. Webography: https://www.degas-catalogue.com/fr/catalogue.html Certificate from Robert Schmit, Paris, 10 October 1977 The original support is a sheet of very thin blue paper It is laminated onto a sheet of blue paper Good adhesion, no folds, good flatness The sheet is oxidised, with stains and a yellowish discolouration. This oxidation is visible in a frame of lightening around the entire periphery (an area that has been protected from light by a passe-partout). The pigmentation is very fresh and the drawing shows no signs of depigmentation or rubbing. The paper support has several restorations: - Missing upper left corner - Some minor retouching in the upper part: in the upper left corner, along the upper border The original support is a sheet of very thin blue paper. It is laminated to a blue sheet. The collage adheres well, with no creases, and has a good planarity The sheet is oxidized and shows stains and yellowish discoloration. This oxidation is visible through a lightening frame around the entire periphery (an area protected from light by a mat). The pigmentation is very fresh, and the drawing shows no depigmentation or signs of rubbing. The paper support has several restorations: - Missing upper left corner - Some minor retouching in the upper part: in the upper left corner and along the upper border. Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Dancer seen in profile This Dancer in Profile is one of Degas's many drawings that relies not only on the graphic design but also on the colour of the paper. The almost square format of the paper places the dancer at the centre of the sheet, occupying the entire space. It is probably a dancer greeting her audience, one of the many attitudes in which Degas' art and knowledge of dance are revealed. This choice of coloured paper is not the only one. In the drawings, we find an example - in green - in the Study of Dancers in the Morgan Library, New York (Inv. 2017.55), and in this Dancer on Stage in the British Museum (MS 2734), which turns blue in our drawing. There are also numerous examples in pastels, such as this seated Dancer from the Morgan Library on pink paper (MS-121), this Dancer with her hands behind her head on green paper from a private collection (MS-1325) and this Dancer seated towards the right on blue paper from the Musée d'Orsay (MS-1326). Is this a preparatory drawing? There is every reason to think so, as our dancer is very similar to the dancer on the left in Two Dancers on Stage in the Courtauld Institute of Art (MS-361). We would like to thank Michel Schulman for confirming the authenticity of this drawing, which will be listed under number 3744 in the forthcoming digital catalogue raisonné of Degas's drawings. All the works mentioned are available on Michel Schulman's website (https://www.degas-catalogue.com/fr/catalogue.html). Collection of an amateur close to the Picasso heirs Maison Piguet is honoured to be able to offer you remarkable works of exceptional provenance. Lots 37 to 51 and 2932 to 2934 marked in blue in the printed catalogue come from the collection of an art lover who had privileged contacts with some of Pablo Picasso's heirs. As a token of friendship and gratitude, they offered him the two drawings and 7 ceramics by their father that are included in this catalogue. These unique and unpublished works have remained in the family by descent to this day. All these lots can be found on our website Piguet.com and in the e-catalogue dedicated to this collection.