Angelo Morbelli, Dancer at Rest

In a series of canvases dedicated to the universe of adolescent dancers, Angelo Morbelli bears witness to his artistic maturity, a pinnacle not reached before now. Here we find a daring layout and a simple and natural nobility of order and attitude.

There is no narrative will, no detail, no animation in the background. In order to evoke simplicity and purity, Morbelli chooses the archetypal image - primitive, one might say - of young girls in moments of rest or intimate recollection, suspended in a luminous yet deep feeling that washes over and impregnates the entire canvas with an etherial, ineffable glow.

The environment where they are depicted is abstract: a 'non-place', where time has suddenly become ancient. These adolescent girls do not look at us; their attitude suggests a detachment from the outside world. It is difficult, if not impossible, to make any contact with them whatsoever - with their gaze, their thoughts, their history. 

Dancer at Rest represents a zenith in Morbelli's oeuvre, where his vision bends and even blends into the feeling of the moment. Through his wise and controlled use of lighting as well as the elegant posing of the young dancer, the artist exposes her innocence. Unlike the dancers portrayed by Degas, Morbelli's model hides her body with tender embarrassment, while her hands gather in a gesture close to prayer.

Angelo Morbelli
(Alexandria 1853 - Milan1919)

Dancer at rest, 1910
Oil on canvas, 95 x 60 cm
Signed at bottom left: Morbelli

Provenance
Private collection, Milano