Gray’s Degas Collection goes on display at Purdue Memorial Union
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A collection of 74 bronze sculptures by the French impressionist Edgar Degas opens to the public on Sept. 18. Believed to be the only complete collection of the works currently on display, the sculptures were a gift to Purdue University College of Liberal Arts from alumnus Avrum Gray (BS mechanical engineering 1956). Among the 74 bronze works is La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen), one of the artist’s signature creations and most iconic works. Valued at more than $21 million with a market value of as much as $52 million, the collection represents the largest gift in the history of Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts.
“This would be a significant contribution to most museums or collections,” says Arne Flaten, head of the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance and professor of art history. “And for us it’s a game changer.” According to Flaten, these sculptures easily rank among the most significant items in Purdue’s collection.
The Degas Collection at Purdue represents different themes found in Degas’ work including dancers, bathers and horses. There are no dates on these works; the original wax or clay sculptures were done during Degas’ lifetime, and all were cast posthumously. The titles were not given by Degas, rather they are descriptors of the figures or actions occurring. It has been speculated that Degas created these works to help him in his painting, using them to work out poses as his eyesight failed.
“This gift is transformational for Purdue Galleries and for this university,” says David Reingold, Justin S. Morrill Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “We now have among the most comprehensive collections of bronzes based on Degas’ original wax models in the country. It elevates the permanent collection and the significance of the arts at Purdue in a big way. We are excited to be able to share them with the entire Purdue community.”
The Degas Collection at Purdue is displayed in a new gallery on the second floor of the Purdue Memorial Union.
Learn more about the Degas Collection at Purdue.
Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu