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The Song of the Dog, 1876-77
Crayon lithograph
Degas depicts the cabaret singer known as Thérésa with the low forehead and weak chin that at the time were widely taken as signs of feeble intelligence, frequently found among ‘less evolved’ members of society. Many of Degas’ paintings and drawings of entertainers, ballet dancers and working women from the 1870s show them with similar physical features, reflecting the current discussions of human ‘types’ and their evolutionary history in these years.
Thérésa’s comic song gives Degas the opportunity to explore similarities with animals in gesture as well as facial expression. Her oddly raised arms recall Darwin’s discussion of dogs ‘intently watching and slowly approaching their prey’. They ‘frequently keep one of their fore-legs doubled up for a long time, ready for the next cautious step.’ (Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals, 1872)
Lent by Nicholas Stogdon
