Edgar Degas · 1834–1917
Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was a French painter born in Paris. With a sure draftsmanship formed by his devotion to Ingres, he is known for painting dancers in a fleeting pose.
Edgar Degas was born in Paris. He devoted himself to Ingres, who showed superb draftsmanship, and his tireless practice is said to have formed an important foundation of his style. He was always conscious of standing slightly apart from the Impressionists and disliked being called an Impressionist painter.
The motif he chose as ideal for capturing movement was the dancer. Through his skill in drawing, his original viewpoint, and the contrast of light and shadow, he caught the fleeting pose of a dancer and raised it on canvas to eternal beauty. In Japan, Dancer in the Wings is held.
The dancer is an indispensable subject in any account of Degas's painting. Edgar Degas was born on July 19, 1834 and died on September 27, 1917.
