\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 With an extreme simplicity of line and a vibrant coloring, that can accurately be described as fauvist, the canvas represent
s five frenzied figures dancing in a ring. Their bright-pink bodies seem to fly over the surface of the grass, which is painted in a crude shade of green.\par
All superfluous detail has been eliminated to focus on the fluid ornamental formation that con
veys the rhythm of the dance: the true subject of the picture.\par
The complex pattern formed by the arms of the dancers is very beautiful, creating the impression of a whirling garland.\par
Sergei Shchukin commissioned Matisse to paint the work in 191
0 to decorate his house in Moscow. The work provoked considerable criticism and perplexity when it was shown at the Salon in 1910. It has been in the Hermitage since 1948.
