Auguste Leroux (1871-1954), "Dancer of the Paris Opera"

Auguste Leroux (1871-1954), "Dancer of the Paris Opera," oil on canvas, signed lower left, with its original gilded wood frame.

In the 19th century, classical ballet took shape: the Paris Opera was the center of the world, and it was here that the greatest ballets of the century were staged, inspired by literary themes characterized by tragic situations and exasperated emotions, as well as by fantastic settings or drawn from medieval legends and themes, in which magical creatures, often winged, such as fairies or sprites, made their appearance. This world of diaphanous girls dressed in tulle, moving with the lightness of butterflies, captivated not only the general public but also artists of the time, especially Edgar Degas: the rustle of delicately colored tutus and the hints of pink blushing on each figure's cheeks evoked a sense of joyful voyeurism, which prompted painters to depict the very young ballerinas, both onstage and backstage, as they prepared for their performances.

Auguste Leroux was also part of that group of artists who, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at the height of the Belle Époque, entered the doors of the Opera to paint the ballerinas. Jules Marie Auguste Leroux was born in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris on April 14, 1871. In 1892, he was admitted to the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts on Rue Bonaparte, where he studied in the studio of Léon Bonnat (1833–1922). A promising artist, he won numerous prizes, including the Grand Prix de Rome in 1894, which led him to study for three years at the Villa Medici in Rome. In 1906, he married Clotilde Morel. In 1908, he and his wife moved to a large house in the Petit-Montrouge neighborhood of the 14th arrondissement of Paris, called Villa d'Alesia. The top floor of the house, covered by a large glass roof, naturally became his studio. Leroux exhibited in several Paris galleries, including the Galerie Allard, the Galerie Georges Petit, the Galerie Charpentier, and the Galerie Mona Lisa. He also designed several public buildings and created some images for the mosaic of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre. He was a professor at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris for 30 years, a member of the jury of the committee of the Society of French Artists in 1904, an art teacher at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, and was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
He enjoyed great success as an illustrator of works by authors such as Giacomo Casanova, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, Stendhal, and Anatole France; his early works were rich in symbolism and Art Nouveau, mixed with numerous references to mythological and allegorical subjects. His later works display greater academic rigor and a clear fascination with female anatomy. During this period, he developed a passion for ballet and began frequenting the Opera, where he portrayed numerous ballerinas backstage. These works are now highly sought after by enthusiasts.

The painting is on its first canvas and has never been restored. It has its original gilded wooden frame.

Dimensions
canvas 81 x 65 cm
frame 93 x 78 cm