Description

An intimate etching by Louis Kronberg, showing a young ballerina practicing at the barre while an older woman—perhaps an instructor, dresser, or attendant—observes from the foreground. Kronberg captures the private labor behind theatrical grace: the dancer’s extended leg, concentrated profile, and carefully positioned hands are rendered with brisk, sensitive linework, while the seated figure anchors the composition with darker, more vigorous hatching.

The image is initialed “L K” within the plate at lower right and bears a warm pencil inscription beneath the image: “With my very good Wishes to Claire, Louis Kronberg, Paris Aug. 8, 1934.” The personal dedication and Paris date give the impression a particularly appealing sense of history and connection to the artist. Presented under glass with a wide mat in an ornate gilt frame.

Boston-born artist Louis Kronberg (1872–1965) built his reputation around images of ballet dancers, theatrical performers, and the private world behind the stage. Trained at Boston’s Museum School under Edmund Tarbell and Frank Weston Benson, he later studied in Paris at the Académie Julian, where the work of Edgar Degas became a defining influence. Like Degas, Kronberg was fascinated not merely by performance, but by rehearsal, fatigue, concentration, and the unguarded moments surrounding it—an affinity that has led admirers and dealers to describe him as an “American Degas.” Kronberg enjoyed the patronage and friendship of Isabella Stewart Gardner, advised her on art purchases in Paris, and is represented in major institutional collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Object Details

Artist: Louis Kronberg (American, 1872–1965)
Title:Ballerina at the Barre
Date: 1934
Medium: Etching on paper
Signature: Initialed “L K” in the plate at lower right
Inscription: Pencil-inscribed and signed beneath the image: “With my very good Wishes to Claire, Louis Kronberg, Paris Aug. 8, 1934”
Image dimensions: Approximately 11¾ × 9¾ inches
Framed dimensions: Approximately 21½ × 19½ inches
Presentation: Matted and framed under glass in a gilt molded frame
Provenance: Acquired at auction in 2026

Attribution: The work is attributed to Louis Kronberg based on the “L K” initials within the plate, the pencil inscription signed “Louis Kronberg,” the Paris 1934 date, the ballet subject, and its stylistic consistency with Kronberg’s known work; Windsor Gallery has not independently authenticated the etching.

Condition

The etching is in excellent vintage condition. Scattered faint marks and minor surface irregularities visible in the margins. The pencil inscription has softened somewhat with age but remains legible. The gilt frame displays scattered rubbing, small abrasions, and separation at the upper-right miter joint. The work has not been examined outside the frame.

Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

Purchase Details

Price: $495
Shipping quoted separately. Please inquire for additional photographs, condition details, or a shipping estimate.