Ballerinas

Stepping out from her husband’s shadow, Zelda Fitzgerald pursued her own artistic identity in Paris.Her original, visionary use of language had boosted the literary success of F. Scott Fitzgerald, who appropriated her words in his novels and short stories. In Paris, she returned to her youthful love of ballet as a source of artistic expression and autonomy. Through grueling training, she hoped to perform with the Ballets Russes. Instead, overwork triggered a mental health crisis

In her semi-autobiographical novel Save Me the Waltz (1932), Fitzgerald shattered the graceful illusions of ballet. Through unflinching descriptions, she emphasized the physical demands placed on dancers’ bodies.

This painting provides a visual equivalent. Fitzgerald represents herself as an androgynous figure with bulging calf and thigh muscles, “Because that’s how a ballet dancer feels after dancing.” Casting aside a pair of tutus, she removes the frilly adornments that camouflage a ballerina’s athleticism and hard work.