La Camargo Dancing
1730 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This oil on canvas painting depicts the famous French ballerina Marie-Anne de Cupis de Camargo performing in a park setting. It is a quintessential example of the elegant, lighthearted scenes characteristic of the Rococo period.
Did you know?
Marie-Anne de Cupis de Camargo was a revolutionary dancer who famously shortened her skirt to above the ankle to allow for more freedom of movement, a scandalous but practical choice that allowed her to perform the entrechat. Nicolas Lancret's work helped immortalize this moment in dance history, blending the high art of the ballet with the aristocratic leisure of the 18th-century French elite. Her popularity was such that she even inspired a specific shoe and a pastry named in her honor.
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La Camargo Dancing
Nicolas Lancret, 1730
