Throughout the world there are about 25 bronze casts of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer Aged 14 (1880-1881). They feature in various museums and several private collections, and across the years many of the sculptures’ tutus have been reconstructed.

The Small Salon displays a small thematic exhibition about the Glyptotek’s little dancer that has recently acquired a new, reconstructed tutu.

It might sound trite. But reconstructing a new tutu was no easy task. Degas left no notes on how he wanted the skirt to be designed – so there are many questions, and the answers are far from clear-cut. After all, what should you give her, when there are 3 different versions of the work? And what about volume, colour and length?

Nevertheless, the tutu had to be changed. The old tutu was in such a bad state that there was no way the museum could still exhibit the sculpture. And as a state-recognized art museum, the Glyptotek must safeguard the cultural heritage for future generations.

The Glyptotek created a version that resembles the tutu of 1881, when Degas exhibited the wax sculpture for the first and only time.

The Small Salon now presents the iconic sculpture with her brand-new tutu and tells the story of the reconstruction of the tutu and of Degas’ famous artwork.

The Small Salon
The Small Salon provides the setting for small, temporary exhibitions of French art. In this exhibition space, visitors can gain insight into the museum’s work on French art – one of the Glyptotek’s main fields of interest.

The Small Salon is located in exhibition hall 32.

The tutu was reconstructed in partnership with Rebecca Hast (sculpture conservator at the Glyptotek), Eva Therkildsen (textile conservator), Eva Lilja Jensen (textile conservator), Mia Stensgaard (set designer), Anja Vang Kragh (costume designer) and Christine Horwitz Tommerup (art historian at the Glyptotek).