Essay on Painting: Edgar Degas and His “Dancing” Images
Originally Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, he came to be in Paris in 1834, and died in 1917. His household members were appreciators of the arts; his father was a Parisian banker and art lover (Trachtman), and his mother was an opera singer from New Orleans with Creole roots (“Edgar Degas and His Paintings”). When Degas was young that he studied in the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and later went along to Italy to master from the masters. That he later came ultimately back to Paris, painting for the Royal Academy’s official Salon exhibitions. He was able to become a financially self-sufficient artist, which meant that he had as much creative freedom as he desired (Trachtman).
The painter is observed as an Impressionist, although that he considered himself a Realist. This discrepancy is possibly what makes Degas stand out from other Impressionists of his time. He's known for drawings, sculptures, prints, and paintings that depict movement and take advantage of pastel and soft colors. This taste for dynamic movement and beauty was the reason for his obsession with dancers and ballerinas, figures which however come to portray in many his paintings (Trachtman).
Dancing Class is amongst the most famous masterpieces of the artist. It shows the conclusion of a backstage rehearsal of a ballet class, in which the ballerinas are resting or stretching in company of their elder teacher. This painting shows a diagonal viewpoint of the class, which highlights the realism of the varnished floors (“Edgar Degas and His Paintings”). In the foreground we see dancers with great detail, from their muscles and posture, allowing us to feel their movement, to the colorful details of their dresses.
The Tub is among the paintings of a series that depicts bare women while bathing. The paintings that show the intimacy of women throughout their toilette are some of Degas specialties, where he makes great usage of pastels showing the human figure. In this painting the woman is in a strange position, which allows us to interpret her movements and suggests sexuality in addition to animality (“Edgar Degas and His Paintings”).
To conclude, Edgar Degas was an impressionist and realist that sought to fully capture moments in the flow of modern life. That he favored to paint real-life scenarios and situations over landscapes and was a master at painting humans in movement, making him a crucial person in the impressionist group that rose in the turning of the century.
Works Cited
“Edgar Degas and His Paintings.” Edgar Degas: 50 Famous Paintings Analysis and Biography. N.p., 2010, www.edgar-degas.net.
Trachtman, Paul. “Degas and His Dancers. ” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Apr. 2003, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/degas-and-his-dancers-79455990/.
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