Title: Why Are There so Many Degas "Little Dancers"?
Headings: Why Are There so Many Degas "Little Dancers"?
Why Are There so Many Degas "Little Dancers"?
The true story of how one artwork ended up in 28 different collections
History of the "Little Dancer" Sculpture
How Did the "Little Dancer" End up at 28 Different Museums?
Where Are the "Little Dancers" and How Can I See Them?

Content: The negative reviewers were louder and ultimately most consequential. Louis Enault called the sculpture "quite simply hideous," and added, "Never has the misfortune of adolescence been more sadly represented." A British critic lamented how low art had sunk. Other criticisms (of which 30 can be assembled) included comparing the "Little Dancer" to a Madame Tussaud wax figure, a dressmakers mannequin, and a "semi-idiot." The "Little Dancer's Face" was subjected to especially brutal scrutiny. She was described as looking like a monkey and of having "a face marked by the hateful promise of every vice." During the Victorian era the study of phrenology, then a very popular and widely accepted scientific theory purported to predict moral character and mental abilities based on cranium size. This belief led many to believe that Degas gave the "Little Dancer" a prominent nose, mouth, and receding forehead to suggest she was a criminal. Also in the exhibition were pastel drawings by Degas that depicted murderers, which bolstered their theory. Degas was making no such statement.