EDGAR DEGAS
(19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917), born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas,
was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and
drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected
the term, and preferred to be called a realist. A superb draughtsman, he is
especially identified with the subject of the dance, and over half his works
depict dancers. These display his mastery in the depiction of movement, as do
his racecourse subjects and female nudes. His portraits are considered to be
among the finest in the history of art.
Early in his career, his ambition was to be a history painter, a calling for which he was well prepared by his rigorous academic training and close study of classic art. In his early thirties he changed course, and by bringing the traditional methods of a history painter to bear on contemporary subject matter, he became a classical painter of modern life.
The child in the works of Degas:
Edgar Degas, Little Dancer, c. 1878-80