Edgar Degas Edgar Degas was a French painter labeled as an impressionist, though he preferred the term “realist”. Degas intention was to become a historical painter but then became infatuated with the female body, more specifically, the bodies of ballerinas. Degas’ incredible ability to expertly depict movement, especially in his renditions of ballerinas, has made him one of the more well-known artists of the Impressionistic era. His paintings were notable for their complexity as well as their portrayal of human isolation. He created portraits as well as sculptures, many still on display in the world’s most prestige museums, and even experimented with pastels near the end of his life. Impressionism as an art form took root in the 1860’s, …show more content…
More modern impressionist artists capture their images with minimal details but bold, vibrant colors.
On the contrary, Degas prided himself on his meticulous attention to details and lack of spontaneity. Degas is categorized more as an impressionist painter mainly because of his detailed depiction of daily Parisian life and his ability to experiment with form and color. Although he has his own distinct style, many of Degas works reflect techniques from older painters.
As Degas’ inspiration shifted from historical events to capturing human movements, so, too, did his techniques. Bold brush strokes soon replaced his delicately laid strokes of before. His colors became vivid, instead of the traditional darks of past artists. With this change of composition and technique, Degas was able to capture moments in real time for future generations of audiences to observe by using a complex layering colors and textures to express the images he was experiencing. Throughout his later life, his works became significantly more abstract and, yet, more simplified, with one central focus and a soft background instead of drawing focus to the entire scene. The works from his later life bear little resemblance to those of his youth, aside from his obsession with the human figure. Certain features, on the other hand, stayed the same throughout his career. Degas worked solely indoors, mainly in his home.