How did Edgar Degas use perspective in The Ballet Class?

In The Ballet Class, Edgar Degas utilizes innovative perspective and composition to create a scene that appears as a spontaneous snapshot despite being meticulously planned.12

His approach to perspective is defined by several key techniques:

• Receding Lines: The viewer’s eye is drawn immediately to an arresting group of dancers in the foreground before being guided deep into the pictorial space by the sharp, receding lines of the floor planks.12
• "Cut-off" Composition: Influenced by Japanese prints and photography, Degas employs a "cut-off" composition, where figures are cropped by the frame. This technique breaks from traditional academic rules, creating a sense of a "through-the-keyhole" glimpse into the backstage world.12
• Overturning Tradition: By combining these modern, photography-inspired perspectives with his rigorous training as a draftsman, Degas successfully bridged traditional and modern approaches, giving everyday life a new, elevated status.12