Leo Martínez
Edgar Degas, born in 1834 in Paris, France, is known for his pastel drawings, oil paintings, bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is particularly recognized for his paintings of dancers, racecourse scenes, and women at work. Degas exhibited his work annually in the Salon during the 1860s and participated in the Impressionist Exhibitions between 1874 and 1886. Despite his association with the Impressionist movement, Degas considered himself a Realist or Independent and preferred to paint indoor scenes illuminated by artificial light. In the 19th century, his works were displayed in various exhibitions and shows, and he became one of the leaders of late-19th-century French art, influencing many subsequent artists.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Period | Late 19th Century |
| Artist | Edgar Degas |
| Artworks | Pencil and chalk drawings, monotype prints, pastels, oil paintings, sculptures, wax modelling, photography |
| Subjects | Dancers, ballerinas, racehorses, jockeys, portraits, laundresses at work, women bathing |
| Themes | Movement, isolation, urban leisure, unusual perspectives, light and shadow |
| Influences | Classical art, Renaissance art, Ingres, Delacroix, Manet, Japanese prints |
| Exhibitions | Salon (1866), Impressionist Exhibitions (1874-1886), Degas and the Dance, La Petite Danseuse de Degas |
| Collaborators and Collectors | Mary Cassatt, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet, Gauguin, Cézanne, Pissarro, Monet |
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What You'll Learn
- Degas's work was exhibited at the Salon annually for five years
- He showed his work at eight Impressionist Exhibitions between 1874 and 1886
- Degas's work was influenced by Japanese prints after 1854
- Degas's work was influenced by Italian Renaissance paintings
- Degas's work was influenced by 19th-century masters Ingres, Delacroix and Daumier
Degas's work was exhibited at the Salon annually for five years
Edgar Degas was a French Impressionist artist known for his pastel drawings, oil paintings, bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. Degas's work was exhibited annually at the Salon for five years, during which he submitted no more history paintings. Instead, he focused on contemporary subjects, such as his "Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey" (Salon of 1866), which signalled his evolving artistic direction.
Degas's decision to exhibit at the Salon annually for five years was significant for his artistic career. During this time, he showcased his talent for capturing modern life, deviating from traditional history painting. This shift in subject matter was influenced by Édouard Manet, whom Degas met in 1864.
The Salon was a prestigious venue for artists to display their work and gain recognition. By exhibiting there consistently, Degas established himself within the artistic community. This exposure contributed to his reputation and influenced his artistic trajectory.
Degas's early scenes of modern life explored themes beyond the ballet world, such as horse racing and milliners and laundresses at work. His unique use of perspective and focus on the body in unusual positions further distinguished his work. Degas's artistic style, with its emphasis on capturing fleeting moments of contemporary life, set him apart from traditional academic art.
After his annual exhibitions at the Salon, Degas became disenchanted with the establishment. He joined a group of young artists who organised independent exhibitions, known as the Impressionists. Despite his differences with the group, Degas played a leading role in organising these shows and exhibited his work in most of them. This period marked a transition in Degas's artistic journey, as he explored new subjects and techniques, solidifying his place as one of the founders of Impressionism.
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He showed his work at eight Impressionist Exhibitions between 1874 and 1886
Edgar Degas, born in 1834, was a French Impressionist artist renowned for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. He is particularly associated with dance, with over half of his works depicting dancers. Although he is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, Degas himself rejected the term, preferring to identify as a realist.
Between 1874 and 1886, Degas participated in eight Impressionist Exhibitions, showcasing his work alongside other young artists. During this period, he played a leading role in organising these exhibitions, despite his differences with the other landscape painters in the group.
The Impressionist Exhibitions provided a platform for Degas to display his artistic talents and unique style. He favoured scenes of modern life, capturing fleeting moments in theatres and cafes illuminated by artificial light. Degas's work stood out for its innovative use of perspective, unusual compositions, and focus on the human form.
One notable work exhibited during this time was his bronze sculpture of a young ballet student, Marie van Goethem, which was shown at the sixth Impressionist Exhibition in 1881. This sculpture shocked viewers with its remarkable realism and prefigured the incorporation of real objects into sculpture in the 20th century.
Through his participation in the Impressionist Exhibitions, Degas established himself as a key figure in the art world of late-19th-century France. Despite criticism during his lifetime, his reputation as a complex and innovative artist has grown over time, and he is now recognised as a leader and influencer of modern artistic techniques.
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Degas's work was influenced by Japanese prints after 1854
Edgar Degas was a French Impressionist artist renowned for his pastel drawings, oil paintings, bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. Degas is especially identified with the subject of dance, with more than half of his works depicting dancers.
In the mid-19th century, after Japan opened up to international trade, there was a phenomenon known as "japonisme" in the West, referring to the popularity of Japanese goods such as lacquerware, bronzes, kimono, and woodblock prints. Degas's work was influenced by this trend, and he studied and was influenced by Japanese woodblock prints. He was particularly interested in the flat fields of colour and patterns, innovative framing devices, and asymmetrical compositions that characterised Japanese prints. This influence can be seen in his work, such as in the repetition of form in his painting "Dancers Practicing at the Barre" (1877), which is reminiscent of the repetition of form in the famous Japanese print "The Great Wave".
Degas's interest in Japanese art was also shaped by his friend Mary Cassatt, who was influenced by Japanese woodblock prints and ukiyo-e prints by artists such as Kitagawa Utamaro and Harunobu. Cassatt and Degas collaborated closely, and her interest in Japanese art likely influenced Degas's work.
Degas's work was also influenced by his study of classical Western art and his travels in Italy, where he immersed himself in the painting and sculpture of antiquity, the trecento, and the Renaissance. He modelled some of his early drawings on the linear restraint of Florentine masters such as Michelangelo, and he also acknowledged the influence of Venetian painters such as Titian. These influences can be seen in Degas's mature works, which combine a tension between the severity of line and the sensuous delights of colour.
In the late 1880s, Degas developed a passion for photography, and he also became increasingly isolated due to his argumentative nature and anti-Semitic beliefs. Despite these factors, he continued to produce artwork until at least 1910, and he is now counted among the most complex and innovative figures of his generation.
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Degas's work was influenced by Italian Renaissance paintings
Edgar Degas was a French Impressionist artist known for his pastel drawings, oil paintings, bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance, with more than half of his works depicting dancers. Although he is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, he rejected the term, preferring to be called a realist. Degas was a superb draftsman, particularly skilled at depicting movement, as seen in his renditions of dancers and bathing female nudes.
In 1856, Degas abandoned his studies in Paris and embarked on a three-year journey of travel and study in Italy. During this period, he immersed himself in the painting and sculpture of antiquity, with a focus on the Italian Trecento and Renaissance. He worked in Naples, Rome, and Florence, filling notebooks with sketches of faces, historic buildings, and landscapes. He also created numerous copies of frescoes and oil paintings by Renaissance masters such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Raphael, and Titian.
Degas's work was influenced by the Italian Renaissance painters he studied during his time in Italy. He consciously modelled some of his drawings on the linear restraint of the Florentine masters while also acknowledging the lure of the Venetian painters, such as Titian, known for their densely hued surfaces. This tension between linear restraint and a lush use of colour is evident in Degas's mature works, which feature vigorous lines and brilliant colours.
Degas's deep respect for the old masters and his admiration for 19th-century champions of Classical line, such as Ingres, and proponents of lyrical colour, such as Delacroix, further influenced his work. He also collected Japanese prints, and the compositional principles of these prints influenced his art, as did the vigorous realism of popular illustrators such as Daumier and Gavarni.
Degas exhibited his work in the Impressionist Exhibitions between 1874 and 1886, showing his work in all but one of them. He took a leading role in organizing these exhibitions, despite his conflicts with other artists in the group, particularly the landscape painters such as Monet, whom he mocked. After 1890, Degas's eyesight, which had long troubled him, deteriorated further, and he apparently ceased working around 1912.
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Degas's work was influenced by 19th-century masters Ingres, Delacroix and Daumier
Edgar Degas was a French Impressionist artist, famous for his pastel drawings, oil paintings, bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance, with more than half of his works depicting dancers. Although Degas is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, he rejected the term, preferring to be called a realist, and did not paint outdoors as many Impressionists did.
Degas's work was influenced by 19th-century masters Ingres, Delacroix, and Daumier, whose works he collected. He also admired El Greco, Manet, Cassatt, Pissarro, Cézanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Édouard Brandon. Degas's style reflects his deep respect for the old masters, and he was an enthusiastic copyist well into middle age. He studied drawing with Louis Lamothe, following the style of Ingres.
Degas's early works were conventional historical paintings, such as "The Daughter of Jephthah" (c. 1859-61) and "Young Spartans Exercising" (c. 1860-62), in which his progress toward a less idealized treatment of the figure is apparent. During this period, he also painted portraits of individuals and groups, such as "The Bellelli Family" (c. 1858-67), a poignant portrayal of his aunt, her husband, and their children.
In his early thirties, Degas changed course, bringing the traditional methods of a history painter to bear on contemporary subject matter. He became a classical painter of modern life, influenced primarily by the example of Édouard Manet, whom he met in 1864 while both were copying the same Diego Velázquez portrait in the Louvre. Degas's technique also evolved, with his early dark palette giving way to vivid colors and bold brushstrokes. Paintings such as "Place de la Concorde" capture moments in time, imparting a sense of movement.
In the late 1880s, Degas developed a passion for photography, which also influenced his work. He photographed his friends, dancers, and nudes, using these images as references in his drawings and paintings.
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Frequently asked questions
Degas exhibited his work at the annual Salon in Paris during the 1860s. He also showed his work at eight Impressionist Exhibitions between 1874 and 1886.
Degas' early work included history paintings, but he stopped submitting these to the Salon in the 1860s. Instead, he exhibited contemporary scenes, including racecourse scenes and portraits.
The Impressionist Exhibitions were organised by a group of young artists, including Degas, who wanted to exhibit their work independently. Degas was a leading member of the group and showed his work at seven out of eight exhibitions.
By the time of the Impressionist Exhibitions, Degas was known for his paintings of dancers and ballet scenes. He also painted café life, including works such as 'L'Absinthe' and 'Singer with a Glove'.
Degas' paintings and drawings are on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. His work is also held in museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
