Edgar DEGAS

Biography

Hilaire Germain Edgar de Gas, better known as Edgar Degas, born on July 19, 1834, in Paris and died on September 27, 1917, in the same city, is a French artist known for his painting, engraving, sculpting, photography, naturalism, and impressionism. Degas is a major figure in the late 19th-century art scene, distinguished by his innovative approach and constant exploration of new mediums and techniques.

Although he was a founding member of the Impressionists, Degas stands out from his contemporaries with his unique vision. Unlike them, he painted not so much landscapes but scenes from everyday life, portraits, and intimate moments, with a preference for the world of performance, especially ballet dancers. Degas was fascinated by movement and grace, capturing fleeting moments with remarkable precision and acuity.

Degas's technique is characterized by bold use of color and mastery of light. His works reveal a deep knowledge of composition and meticulous attention to detail. He experimented with different materials, ranging from oil painting to pastel, and even dabbled in sculpture and photography.

In his paintings, Degas particularly focused on the representation of the human body in motion. His studies of dancers, working women, or in everyday life moments are imbued with great sensitivity and psychological subtlety. Degas sought to capture the essence of his subjects, going beyond mere representation to explore their character and state of mind.

His innovations in composition and the way he played with perspectives were revolutionary. Degas often placed his subjects off-center, sometimes cutting off part of the scene, thus giving his works a dynamism and modernity that prefigured the framing techniques of photography and cinema.

His contribution to sculpture is also significant. Although less known for this aspect of his work, Degas created sculptures as expressive as his paintings, the most famous being "The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer," showing a young ballerina in a resting position.

The end of his life was marked by a struggle against blindness, which led him to focus more on sculpture. Despite his health problems, Degas remained active in the art world until his death. Today, he is recognized as one of the masters of Impressionism, although his work transcends the limits of this movement, placing him as one of the most influential and innovative artists of his time.