Almost Quote by John Berger
“In Degas's compositions with several dancers, their steps, postures and gestures often resemble the almost geometric, formal letters of an alphabet, whereas their bodies and heads are recalcitrant, sinuous and individual.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Ways of Seeing, 1972
Degas’s dancer scenes blend structured, letter‑like forms with fluid, individual bodies, showing tension between order and personal expression.
In simple terms: Degas mixes geometric order with unique, flowing bodies.
Key Takeaway
Recognize both structure and individuality in art.
Themes
art
form
individuality
Mood
analytical
observational
Type
artistic
educational
When to use this quote
- museum tours
- art classes
- design critiques
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
modernism
visual language
human form
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the contrast reveal about society’s rules?
- How does this tension appear in your work?
A Different Perspective
Focusing only on form can ignore personal nuance.
![“There's the artist's intimacy and truthfulness to himself, but an equal intimacy to the Other [the one drawn]. Picasso drawings are like that... the Rembrandts are like that. The artist who most often did that was Van Gogh.” quote by John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d1/john-berger-1590_art_there-s-the-artist-s-intimacy-and-truthf_155171.jpg)
