Edgar Degas: Ballerinas and Racehorses

Edgar Degas cannot be characterized as a typical Impressionist, as he rejected the need for open-air painting and the cult of landscape, but he nevertheless thoroughly shared the Impressionist spirit — and became a respected and celebrated painter of ballet scenes and horse races.

Early Life

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar de Gas, called Degas, was born into a Parisian banking family in 1834. After studying at the Collège Louis-Le-Grand, he entered Louis Lamothe’s studio at the School of Fine Arts in 1855. There he took lessons from two of the most notable nineteenth-century painters, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Hyppolite Flandrin. It was at that time that he created his first respected works of art: self-portraits and portraits of family members, as well as multiple copies of Louvre masterpieces.

Artistic Career

In 1856, Degas traveled to Rome, where he discovered the works of Florentine painters and enthusiastically began copying them. He also attended evening courses at the Villa Medici and met several recognized artists, including Gustave Moreau, with whom he soon developed a profound friendship. Back in Paris, Degas enjoyed the vibrant world of horse racing, the opera, and theater. In 1865, his first piece, “Scene of War in the Middle Ages,” was exhibited at the prestigious Salon de Paris, an art show organized by the Parisian École des Beaux-Arts.

At that time, he met Impressionist Édouard Manet, whose taste and artistic preferences he shared and under whose influence he developed an Impressionist approach. Both artists were interested in certain naturalistic themes, but Degas, in contrast to the “core” Impressionists, rejected the cult of landscape and the need for open-air painting. However, like his companions, he was highly enthusiastic about the flamboyant Parisian society, and he especially admired ballerinas, resulting in his prolific depicturing of them taking dance lessons, rehearsing, resting, or performing. His mastery of technique was flawless, and he frequently experimented with different media.

Late Years

In 1878, his mood darkened after a bankruptcy had ruined his family. Although he managed to pay off his own debts, he plunged into dire financial straits and thus became pessimistic and hopeless like never before. Due to his deteriorating eyesight, he started painting with ever coarser brushstrokes. Pastel colors became increasingly important to Degas, who fully utilized their soft contours and multifaceted coloristic effects. In 1910, his worsening vision forced him to eventually quit painting; he subsequently started creating sculptures instead. Isolated, blind, and embittered, he died of a stroke in 1917.

Degas Today

Degas ranks among the most popular Impressionists, even though his popularity does not quite compare to Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, or Paul Cézanne. The artist’s “Danseuse au Repose” sold for $37.04 million at Sotheby’s auction house in 2008, an all-time-high for a Degas painting.