Painted early in his career, "Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys" shows Edgar Degas working in a classical, history-painting mode before he turned to the modern Parisian subjects — ballet, racetracks, café life — for which he later became famous. The painting depicts a scene of Spartan youths in athletic contest, drawn from ancient sources, and reveals Degas's rigorous academic training in figure composition and anatomy. This early classical subject matter provides an instructive contrast to the radically modern imagery Degas pursued for the rest of his career.
Printed edge to edge on a soft, durable woven area rug with a comfortable, non-slip feel.
