About the Artist

Edgar Degas was born in Paris on the 19th of July 1834. He entered in 1855 to the École des Beaux Arts, he studied under Lamothe [1822-1869]. He first exhibited in the Salon of 1865, he used pastel on some of his best works, in 1866 he was revealed as a painter of the racecourse and of all the most modern aspects of life and of Parisian society. In 1869 and 1870 he restricted himself to portraits; but thenceforward he abandoned the Salons and attached himself to the Impressionists. With Manet [1832-1883] and Monet [1840-1926] he took the lead of the new school at its first exhibition in 1874, and repeatedly contributed to these exhibitions. In 1868 he had shown his first study of a dancer, and in numerous pastels he proclaimed himself the painter of the ballet, representing its figurantes in every attitude with more constant aim at truth than grace. In 1880 Degas showed his powers of observation in a set of Portraits of Criminals, and he attempted modelling in a Dancer, in wax. He is ranked with Manet as the leader of the impressionist school. At the eighth Impressionist Exhibition, in 1886, Degas continued his realistic studies of modern life, showing drawings of the nude, of workwomen, and of jockeys. Many great works of art depend on the artist involvement with the subject. That is not true with Degas. It is his lack of involvement, his ability to stand back from the object, that gives his art an edge. Especially with woman subjects it is well documented that Degas regarded woman bodies as not fully human. It is this lack of humanity that sets him free. Instead he focuses on curves and lights on the body which give his paintings realistic edge. His work is to be seen not only at the Luxembourg but in many of the great private collections in Paris, in England and America.