Edgar Degas; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas; (19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917) was a French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings.
Self-portrait (Degas au porte-fusain), 1855. image: wikipedia/Courtesy of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris
He is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers.
He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, although he rejected the term, preferring to be called a realist.
A superb draftsman, he was particularly masterly in depicting movement seen in his renditions of dancers, racecourse subjects and female nudes.
His portraits are regarded for their psychological complexity and emphasis of human isolation.
At the start of his career, he wanted to be a history painter, a calling for which he was well prepared by his rigorous academic training and close study of classic art.
By 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.
Dancer with a Bouquet of Flowers by Edgar Degas . image: The Yorck Project/ wikipedia
Source: Adapted from Edgar Degas. (2014, December 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:39, December 30, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edgar_Degas&oldid=640174721
Further resources: Edgar Degas on Artsy.net from https://www.artsy.net/artist/edgar-degas