Edgar Degas
(1834–)
(–1917)
Edgar Degas
1834–1917
Edgar Degas (1834–1917) was a French artist predominantly known for his ballerina paintings and drawings done in oil and pastels. Although Degas is often credited with founding the Impressionist movement and exhibited in seven out of eight of the Impressionism exhibitions from 1874 through 1886, he rejected the term and preferred to be known as a realist painter.
At the beginning of his career, Degas intended to become a history painter. His approach changed when he became interested in painting modern life during his early thirties. Degas was especially known for his strong depiction of movement, often painting subject matter such as horse racing, the theatre, and ballet. Further, he adopted unusual vantage points and cut off figures with the frame, inspired by the framing of Italian mannerists.
His interest in depicting ballet dancers as an artistic subject intensified in the 1870s and he made over 1,500 works on the subject. Before 1880, he would often use oil paints to complete his works based on preliminary sketches in oil pastel. However, he started using pastel in finished pieces starting in 1875, and by 1885, many of his completed works were done entirely in pastel. His work is held in many collections such as the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the National Gallery in London, among others.