DEPICTING THE DANCER: WORKS BY ERNST OPPLER

Through July 24

Works from the permanent collection by German artist Ernst Oppler are now on view in the firstfloor Preview Gallery. In the early 1900s, Oppler became one of the most renowned artistic chroniclers of the history of German ballet. He used his power of observation to depict the legendary Ballet Russes dancers such as Vaslav Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova. It is no surprise to see that many of Oppler’s etchings focus on immortalizing Pavlova in various poses from her signature work, "The Dying Swan." Lasting only four minutes, the brief solo ballet was choreographed for Pavlova in 1905 by Mikhail Fokine to music by Camille Saint-Saëns. The piece became an iconic part of Pavlova's career as she performed it over 4,000 times — including Tampa in 1915!

Ernst Oppler (German, 1867-1929), “Pavlova: The Dying Swan Finale,” c. 1920, Drypoint etching on paper. Gift of Susan Oppler Wood.