03/04/2026
"La Danse" (1869) par Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux- L'original au Musée d'Orsay. Allegory of dance!
The first time I stood before "La Danse" at the Paris Opéra, Palais Garnier, I was completely captivated, It didn’t feel like stone. It felt like movement—caught in the act.
Created in 1869 by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, this sculpture captures the very essence of dance, led by a winged figure pulling the dancers into motion.
But when it was installed, Paris was shocked.
The nudity.
The realism.
The raw energy.
Soon after, someone even threw black ink at it in protest.
Today, I’m drawing it —this time from the original, preserved inside the Musée d’Orsay. The version outside Opera is a replica, installed in 1964 to protect the original.
But the energy?
Still untamed.
Because this isn’t just a sculpture about dance.
It is the dance.”**
