Portrait of Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas

Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas Giclée Fine Art Prints 12 of 13

1834-1917

French Impressionist Painter

Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was a French artist known for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance, and more than half of his works depict dancers. Although he is often regarded as an Impressionist, Degas rejected the term and preferred to be called a realist.

Edgar Degas was born on July 19, 1834, in Paris, France, to a wealthy family. His father, Auguste De Gas, was a banker, and his mother, Celestine Musson, came from a family of Creole descent. Degas had four siblings, and he was the oldest of the five children.

Degas began his artistic education at an early age, attending the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, where he received a classical education. In 1853, he enrolled at the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris but soon abandoned his legal studies to pursue art. In 1855, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under Louis Lamothe, a former student of the famous French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.

In 1856, Degas traveled to Italy, where he spent three years studying the works of the Italian Renaissance masters, such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian. During this time, he also began to develop his own artistic style, focusing on historical and religious subjects.

Upon returning to Paris in 1859, Degas began to exhibit his work at the Salon, an annual art exhibition in Paris. However, he soon became disillusioned with the conservative nature of the Salon and sought out alternative venues to showcase his art.

In the early 1870s, Degas became associated with a group of artists who would later become known as the Impressionists. This group, which included Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro, sought to capture the fleeting effects of light and color in their paintings. Although Degas shared some of their artistic goals, he preferred to work in the studio rather than outdoors and focused on capturing the human figure rather than landscapes. This focus on the human figure, particularly in the context of everyday life, set Degas apart from many of his Impressionist contemporaries.

Degas was also known for his innovative compositions and his willingness to experiment with different techniques and mediums. He often combined pastels with other materials, such as charcoal, gouache, and oil paint, to create richly textured surfaces. His compositions frequently featured unconventional viewpoints and cropped figures, which added a sense of immediacy and spontaneity to his work. In addition to his paintings of ballet dancers, Degas produced a significant body of work depicting other aspects of Parisian life. He was particularly interested in capturing scenes from the world of entertainment, such as the theater, the opera, and the café-concert. He also painted a series of works depicting women at work, including milliners, laundresses, and ironers. These paintings often highlighted the physical labor and repetitive nature of these occupations, offering a stark contrast to the more glamorous world of the ballet.

Degas's interest in photography also influenced his art. He began experimenting with photography in the 1890s, using it as both a source of inspiration and a means of documenting his friends and family. The cropping and unusual angles found in some of his photographs can be seen in his paintings and pastels, further demonstrating his willingness to push the boundaries of traditional artistic conventions.

As Degas's career progressed, his style continued to evolve. In his later years, his brushwork became looser, and his color palette shifted towards more vibrant and expressive hues. This change in style has been attributed to both his failing eyesight and his exposure to the work of younger artists, such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the Fauvists.

Despite his association with the Impressionists, Degas remained somewhat aloof from the group and did not fully embrace their artistic philosophy. He was known for his strong opinions and sometimes contentious relationships with other artists. However, his innovative approach to composition, his mastery of various mediums, and his focus on the human figure have secured his place as a pivotal figure in the development of modern art.

Edgar Degas's legacy continues to inspire and influence artists today. His work can be found in major museums and galleries around the world, and his unique vision and contributions to the art world are still celebrated and studied by art historians and enthusiasts alike.

301 Edgar Degas Artworks

At the Stock Exchange, c.1878/79 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

At the Stock Exchange c.1878/79

Giclée Canvas Print
$51.60
SKU: 2840-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:100 x 82 cm
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando, 1879 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando 1879

Giclée Canvas Print
$61.11
SKU: 2839-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:117.2 x 77.5 cm
National Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Dancer Posing at a Photographer's Studio, c.1874/77 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print
SKU: 2838-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:65 x 50 cm
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia

Mademoiselle Malo, c.1877 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Mademoiselle Malo c.1877

Giclée Canvas Print
$60.74
SKU: 2837-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:81 x 65 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA

The Gentlemen's Race - Before the Start, 1862 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print
SKU: 2836-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:48.5 x 61.5 cm
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

Interior Scene (The Rape), c.1868/69 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Interior Scene (The Rape) c.1868/69

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2834-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:81.3 x 114.3 cm
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, USA

Portrait of Hortense Valpincon as a Child, 1869 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print
SKU: 2833-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:75.5 x 113.6 cm
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota, USA

Sulking, c.1870 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Sulking c.1870

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2832-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:32.4 x 46.4 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

Portrait of Lorenzo Pagans and Auguste Degas, c.1871/72 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print
SKU: 2831-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:54.5 x 40 cm
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

Before the Race, c.1873 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Before the Race c.1873

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2829-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:26.6 x 35.1 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA

Jeantaud, Linet and Laine, 1871 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Jeantaud, Linet and Laine 1871

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2828-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:38 x 46 cm
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

The Dancing Class, c.1870/71 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

The Dancing Class c.1870/71

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2827-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:19.7 x 27 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

Horses in a Meadow, 1871 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Horses in a Meadow 1871

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2826-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:31.8 x 40 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA

The Opera Orchestra, c.1870 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

The Opera Orchestra c.1870

Giclée Canvas Print
$61.84
SKU: 2825-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:56.5 x 46 cm
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

Musicians in the Orchestra, 1872 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Musicians in the Orchestra 1872

Giclée Canvas Print
$57.03
SKU: 2824-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:69 x 49 cm
Stadel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany

Dance Class at the Opera on Le Peletier Str., 1872 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print
SKU: 2823-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:32 x 46 cm
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

A Carriage at the Races in the Countryside, 1869 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print
SKU: 2822-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:36.5 x 55.9 cm
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts, USA

Violinist and Young Woman, c.1871 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Violinist and Young Woman c.1871

Giclée Canvas Print
$64.81
SKU: 2821-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:46.4 x 55.9 cm
Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan, USA

Woman Ironing (The Laundress), c.1869 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Woman Ironing (The Laundress) c.1869

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2820-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:92.5 x 74 cm
Neue Pinakothek, Munich, Germany

Madame Rene de Gas, c.1872/73 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

Madame Rene de Gas c.1872/73

Giclée Canvas Print
$59.91
SKU: 2819-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:72.9 x 92 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA

The Cotton Exchange in New Orleans, 1873 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

The Cotton Exchange in New Orleans 1873

Giclée Canvas Print
$51.99
SKU: 2818-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:73 x 92 cm
Musee des Beaux Arts, Pau, France

The Song Rehearsal, c.1872/73 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

The Song Rehearsal c.1872/73

Giclée Canvas Print
$73.16
SKU: 2817-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:80.9 x 64.9 cm
Dumbarton Oaks Collection, Washington, USA

School of Ballet (Ecole de Danse), c.1873 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print
SKU: 2816-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:47.6 x 62.2 cm
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, USA

A Woman Ironing (Silhouette), 1873 by Edgar Degas | Canvas Print

A Woman Ironing (Silhouette) 1873

Giclée Canvas Print
$49.87
SKU: 2815-DEE
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Original Size:54.3 x 39.4 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

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