Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas was a French artist who lived from 1834 to 1917. Though he is often labeled as an Impressionist, Degas preferred to be called a realist.

He began painting at an early age and by 18, his bedroom had been converted into a full studio. After initially going to law school, Degas changed course and attended art school where he studied the classic masters such as Michelangelo. His initial aim was to be a history painter, and to depict large scale versions of important historical moments, and some of these pieces he showed at the Paris salon. When Edgar Degas’s father died in 1874, he became aware of his brother’s massive debts and was forced to sell all he had, including his house, to try and get his family out of bankruptcy. It was at this time that Degas was forced to paint as a means of making money, and this decade became the most productive of his life.

Degas was disenchanted with the Salon scene and changed from depicting history to depicting modern life. He was able to apply the classical techniques he had learned in school and use them with contemporary scenes.  Though Edgar Degas is often regarded as one of the founders of impressionism, he did not like that art movement at all.  He disliked the idea of painting en plein air and the sporadic nature of impressionist painting.  

Instead, Degas opted to paint only indoors, preferably in his studio, and did many studies prior to creating his masterpieces. Over half of Edgar Degas’s works are related to dance because those pieces sold the best, but he also did many cafe scenes. Though his sculptures are well-known today, he only showed them once during his lifetime. He had made those for himself, only.

Degas was a hard worker and devoted his entire life to his art.  As he got older, he isolated himself more and more from others.  His contemporaries saw him as caustic and cold with a biting wit.  He said, “the artist must live alone, and his private life must remain unknown.”  Degas continued working up until the very end.  On his deathbed at 83 years old, he said “Damn, and just as I was starting to get it!”

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