Petit Women
Behind Degas tableau of beauty and elegance stand the young women who were part of a dangerous culture that would shock contemporary audiences. Labelled as ‘petit rats’, their lives were owned and controlled by ‘abonnés’ (wealthy male subscribers to the opera), and they were often encouraged to ‘fan the flames of male desire’. This series of work places these women amongst a modern-day ballerina, eradicating all ‘abonnés’ from the picture and providing a safe space for them to dance.
