How Much Is The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage Worth?

Conclusion: The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage is a top-tier, 1870s ballet composition by Degas and merits an auction-oriented estimate of $35–60 million today, with private-sale potential into the low-to-mid $70 millions under competitive conditions. The work is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and is not realistically available; this is a hypothetical market orientation grounded in direct comparables and current demand dynamics [1].

Method and anchors: We triangulate against the two strongest market benchmarks for Degas’s signature dancer imagery: the record pastel Danseuse au repos at $37.0m (Sotheby’s New York, 2008) and the long-standing 1999 London record for a similar subject at ~$27.9m—both reflecting prime, multi-figure ballet works of high pictorial impact [2]. In today’s dollars, these benchmarks sit in roughly the mid‑$50m band, establishing a ceiling for best-in-class “pictures” by Degas. The artist’s overall auction record remains $41.6m for Petite danseuse de quatorze ans (Christie’s New York, 2022), reinforcing the meaningful but not unlimited headroom at the top of the Degas market [3].

Why this work prices near the top: The Met’s sheet is an archetypal, ambitious stage-rehearsal composition set under gaslight, spanning dancers, orchestra pit and wings—precisely the iconography that commands premium pricing in Degas [1]. It is closely related to the large grisaille shown at the first Impressionist exhibition (1874) and to a companion pastel at The Met, situating it at the core of Degas’s most coveted decade and subject. The provenance is blue-chip (Hill, Sickert, Durand‑Ruel/Boussod‑Valadon, Havemeyer) and the work is deeply published and exhibited—each factor reliably expanding bidder depth and underwriting value [4].

Medium and condition adjustments: Although not a pure oil, the work’s build—oil colors freely mixed with turpentine, with traces of watercolor and pastel over pen-and-ink on wove paper laid to bristol and canvas—has a pictorial presence comparable to oils while preserving Degas’s hallmark graphic vitality [1]. Market behavior shows that major, mixed-media “on paper laid down” Degas pictures can approach oil pricing when subject and date are prime. That said, price realization at the very top is condition-sensitive: stability of the media layers, the integrity of the laid-down support, and any restoration history should be vetted and would shift the estimate within the stated band.

Market tone and scarcity: Trophy Impressionist supply was thin in 2023–24, but demand for pre‑war masterpieces re‑accelerated in late‑2025, with buyers showing a clear flight to quality. Recent Degas ballet pastels of quality have been met with healthy competition—e.g., Trois danseuses at $5.78m—signaling active depth below the trophy tier and readiness to stretch for best-in-oeuvre examples [5]. Against this backdrop, true 1870s, multi‑figure on‑stage compositions are exceptionally scarce (many in museums), a structural tailwind that supports the top half of our range. Broader auction data confirm a rebound for blue‑chip Modern/Impressionist when works are best-in-class [6].

Positioning: Our $35–60m range sits just below the inflation-adjusted pastel records and acknowledges the slight discount for mixed media versus the very top pastels, while fully crediting the subject, date, scale, and scholarly renown. In a tightly brokered private context with multiple prepared buyers, $50–75m is realistic.