Edgar Degas

Lore & Background

Degas was born in Paris into a moderately wealthy family, the oldest of five children. His mother was a Creole from New Orleans, and his father was a banker. He began painting early, turned a room into a studio by age 18, and enrolled at the Faculty of Law but applied little effort. In 1855 he met Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, who advised him to draw lines from life and memory. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under Louis Lamothe, then traveled to Italy for three years, making studies for The Bellelli Family and copying Renaissance works.

Upon returning to France in 1859, Degas painted history subjects but soon shifted to contemporary themes, influenced by Édouard Manet. He served in the National Guard during the Franco-Prussian War, where his eyesight was found defective. After the war, he stayed in New Orleans with relatives, producing works including A Cotton Office in New Orleans, his only work purchased by a museum during his lifetime. He returned to Paris in 1873, and after his father's death he sold his house and art collection to pay his brother's debts. He then joined the Impressionist group, taking a leading role in organizing their exhibitions, though he disliked the term 'Impressionist' and mocked landscape painters for working outdoors.

Reader's Guide

Degas's significance lies in his bridging of traditional academic training with modern subject matter. He brought the methods of a history painter—rigorous drawing and composition—to scenes of contemporary life, becoming a classical painter of modern life. His focus on dancers, racehorses, and bathers allowed him to explore movement and psychological isolation. Though grouped with Impressionists, he rejected the label, insisting on realism and rarely painting outdoors. His portraits are noted for psychological complexity. Degas's later years were marked by deteriorating eyesight, isolation, and antisemitic views that alienated friends. He never married and died nearly blind in 1917. His legacy includes not only his paintings and pastels but also his sculptures and photographs, and his influence on later artists is evident in his innovative compositions and emphasis on drawing.

Did You Know?

• Degas adopted the less grandiose spelling of his family name when he became an adult.
• More than half of his works depict dancers.
• He was a superb draftsman and particularly masterly in depicting movement.
• His only work purchased by a museum during his lifetime was A Cotton Office in New Orleans.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Edgar Degas (19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917), was a French painter, print-maker and sculptor. He was moreover an active organizer of several Impressionist exhibitions, but never painted 'plain air' himself." — Edgar Degas "Boredom soon overcomes me when I am contemplating nature." — Edgar Degas "J'ai vraiment, un vrai bagage dans la tête.

S'il y avait pour cela, comme il y a partout ici, des compagnies d'assurance, voilà un ballot je ferais assurer de suite." — Edgar Degas "I really have some luggage in my head. If only there were insurance companies for that as there are for so many things here, there's a bale I should insure at once." — Edgar Degas