National Gallery Renames ‘Russian Dancers’ Degas Painting In Honor Of Ukraine

For decades, visitors to the UK’s National Gallery have admired Russian Dancers, an Edgar Degas work depicting a troupe of graceful women in pastel hues. 

The next time they visit, however, the work will bear a different name.

In a recent move, the gallery has decided to retitle the masterpiece to Ukrainian Dancers, as it believes the artwork was originally mislabeled due to “lazy” interpretations of the country’s art and heritage. 

According to The Guardian, Ukrainians on social media have been pointing out to the gallery that the dancers are wearing the tell-tale yellow and blue—the country’s official colors—throughout the painting, such as on the ribbons and garlands. 

A National Gallery spokesperson told the publication that while the title of the painting has been widely discussed in scholarly circles for years, the increased focus on Ukraine and its heritage due to Russia’s siege of the nation has made it an “appropriate moment” to “update” the title of the piece.

The move is welcomed by Ukrainian artists, including Mariia Kashchenko, the director of the art unit, who says that “Russian art” has become an “umbrella term” for works from the region, and that it is “really important” to label art pieces correctly, especially with the current geopolitical backdrop. 

UPI notes that as Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression, many in the country have been fighting to preserve its art and history, with UNESCO saying it is “deeply concerned” about damages to culture, heritage, education, and information.

The organization is working with local authorities to assess the level of destruction, and will implement emergency support actions for the “protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage.”

[via The Guardian and UPI, cover image via Wikimedia Commons / Edgar Degas (CC BY 3.0)