Edgar Degas (1834-1917) French Impressionist

Edgar Degas was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. Many refer to him as a founder of Impressionism. However, he rejected the term and preferred the term realist. Over half his works depict dancers, so many people identify him with the subject of dance. He continuously belittled the practices of Impressionist artists, but his friendships with several key Impressionist artists all relate him to the movement. He painted scenes of Parisian life, the ballet. In addition he experimented with off-center compositions, color and form. Not only was he a painter and draftsman, but he was also a sculptor. Many know him for his famous bronze sculpture titled, Little Dancer of Fourteen Years.

At the beginning of his career, he sought to become a history painter, a field he was well prepared for from his rigorous academic training and close study of classic art. In his early thirties, he changed course and brought the traditional methods of a history painter together with contemporary subject matter, becoming a classical painter of modern life.