Lesson at La Scala's Ballet School, Milan, Italy

Accession Number
2013/2.128

Title
Lesson at La Scala's Ballet School, Milan, Italy

Artist(s)
Alfred Eisenstaedt

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1934; printed 1991

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm)

Credit Line
Gift from the Collection of David S. Rosen MD, MPH

Subject matter
Alfred Eisenstaedt, best known for his "V Day" photograph of a soldier kissing a nurse during the V-J Day celebration in New York Times Square, frequently worked with ballerinas as a subject for his photographs. Ballet images were taken throughout his career on various assignments for LIFE magazine, where he worked for over 40 years. As one of the primary photographers for the magazine, he made over 2,500 images of a diverse range of subjects. This photograph was taken prior to his work at LIFE, demonstrating a lasting interest in the subjects of ballet and dance.  

Physical Description
A photograph of the legs of four ballerinas, visible under a desk. They each wear ballet slippers and socks. The desk has an opening where books and wallets are stored for their lesson.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
ballet slippers
books
children (people by age group)
desks
legs (animal components)
wallets

4 Related Resources

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Girlhood
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(Part of: Ethnicity and Race)

& Author Notes

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