Degas and the Dance: The Painter and the Petits Rats, Perfecting Their Art

A quartet of titles challenge readers to look beyond the basics when it comes to artwork. For Susan Goldman Rubin's picture book biography Degas and the Dance: The Painter and the Petits Rats, Perfecting Their Art, created in partnership with the School of American Ballet and the American Federation of Arts, readers go backstage at the Paris Opera to explore the genesis of Edgar Degas's most recognizable series. More than 30 works are reproduced, including The Dance Class (1874) and Dancers Practicing at the Barre (1877). Numerous preliminary sketches reveal the artist's creative process.