Edgar Degas ( ) Impressionist

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(1834-1917) Impressionist In the vertical art storage rack, you will find the following: Large Reproductions: Dance Class (1874) Posters: The Art Elements & Principles posters to use in the

1 ( ) Impressionist In the vertical art storage rack, you will find the following: Large Reproductions: Dance Class (1874) Posters: The Art Elements & Principles posters to use in the discussion On the NSS PTA website, you will find digital images available for download. These can be sent to the teacher to project on their Smartboards: Digital files: The Dance Class ( ), The Dance Class (1874), Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (the The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer) (1880) In the black cabinet, you will find a white binder with a copy of this presentation and several laminated 8.5 x 11 prints of the other works referenced in this presentation. Updated September 2018

2 Personal Information Name: Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas (Later shortened to Edgar Degas) Born: July 19, 1834 Died: September 27, 1917 Lived: Degas lived most of his life in France, but traveled around Italy for several years Family: Edgar was the oldest of five children. He never got married. Professional Data Type of Artist: Artistic Credo: Famous Work: Degas is considered an impressionist painter. He also worked with pastels and created some sculptures. In art, nothing should look like chance, not even movement. The Dance Class, The Bellelli Family, Chanteuse de Café, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. Background Early Life Edgar Degas was born Hilaire-Germaine-Edgar de Gas on July 19, 1834 in Paris France. His father, Auguste, was a banker and his mother, Celestine, was an American from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the oldest of five children. The family changed the spelling to Degas, since de meant a wealthy family owning large plots of land, which was not true of their family. Edgar later shortened his own name, to make it easier to remember his artwork. He came from a very musical household. His mother was an amateur opera singer and his father often hired musicians to give performances in their home. His mother died when he was thirteen, so his father and grandfather were the major influences in his life. He began to paint early in his life. By the age of eighteen, Degas received permission to copy works in the Louvre, which is how many artists developed their techniques. His father wanted him to become a lawyer, so he entered law school, but did not put much effort into his studies. Two years later, he was admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he began to flourish as an artist. However, he left after only one year and spent the next three years traveling, painting, and studying in Italy. There he painted copies from the great Italian artists, such as Michelangelo and da Vinci and learned the importance of classical lines in painting. He carried this training throughout his career.

3 Degas returned to Paris in 1859, determined to make a name for himself as a painter. He painted large portraits for families and historical scenes. At this time in Paris, artwork was controlled by a powerful group of artists called the Salon. This group was not impressed with Degas work. In 1868, Degas and a group of artists including Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley, decided to present their artwork on their own. Unfortunately, France was experiencing difficult times, and Degas volunteered for the French National Guard when the Franco-Prussian War broke out. The war ended in 1871 and Degas could return to Paris to focus on art once again. Professional Career In 1873, Degas, Monet, Sisley and several other painters formed the Societe Anonyme des Artistes, which put on exhibits not controlled by the Salon. This group of painters became known as the Impressionists. Impressionists painted the world around them using bright, dazzling colors and concentrating on the effects of light. Most works by impressionists focus on outdoor scenes and use natural light. Because he preferred scenes in theaters and cafes, using artificial light, he referred to himself as a realist or independent. Most people today refer to him as an impressionist since he was one of the founders of the group and organized many of the exhibits. Also like an impressionist, Degas captures brief moments in the flow of life. Degas chose subjects of common life such as a laundress, a Parisian at a café, a ballet dancer. He eventually produced 1,500 works on ballet dancers. He liked to use dancers because he could capture the movement of the human body in his paintings. Unlike many artists of his time, rather than painting a portrait, he tried to capture a moment in a frame, as in a photograph. He also liked to repeat a subject many times, from different angles. Degas did not have any formal pupils, but his work did influence several important painters. He believed that the artist must live alone, and his private life must remain unknown. He did not have many close friends and he never married. As he got older, his eyesight began to fail and he focused more on photography and less on painting. He mostly kept to himself and in 1917 he died at the age of 83. Characteristics of Impressionism When looking at impressionist artwork you will see: 1. small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, artists would place different colors next to each other to create a new color rather than mix the colors together. The human eye would do the blending on its own. 2. open composition like large rooms, buildings or landscapes 3. emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), 4. ordinary subject matter 5. inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience 6. unusual visual angles.

Edgar Degas Featured Artwork The Dance Class (1873 1876) (Oil canvas, 33 x 30 in) Musée d'orsay, Paris The painting depicts dancers at the end of a lesson under ballet master Jules Perrot.

The Dance Class (1874) (Oil canvas, 33 x 30 in) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Degas completed The Dance Class in 1874. This painting is one of several versions of the same subject.

4 Edgar Degas Featured Artwork The Dance Class ( ) (Oil canvas, 33 x 30 in) Musée d'orsay, Paris The painting depicts dancers at the end of a lesson under ballet master Jules Perrot. Perrot and Degas were friends, and Degas painted the Dance class in the Paris Opera house a year after it burnt down. The Dance Class (1874) (Oil canvas, 33 x 30 in) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Degas completed The Dance Class in This painting is one of several versions of the same subject. The poses are so lifelike that each dancer seems almost ready to move. He captured the dancers in many different poses while waiting for the ballet class to begin. In true impressionist style, he uses splashes of bright color to capture the eye of his audience. General Discussion on the artwork: What is happening in these paintings? What feeling is the artist trying to capture? Does this painting look realistic? Why or why not? What characteristics of impressionism do you see in the painting? Do you see any similarities in these paintings? Do you see any differences?

5 Talking about the Elements of Art Use the Elements of Art posters for discussion LIGHT: Where is the light source coming from? TEXTURE: Texture refers to the appearance of surfaces in art. How does Degas convey texture in the costumes? LINE: Which lines suggest movement? SPACE What is the focal point of the painting? How does Degas lead your eyes there? (The instructor is the focal point with the diagonal lines of the floor boards leading your eyes there. SHAPE: Which shapes are represented in the painting? COLOR: Where do you see splashes of color? What kind of emotions do they suggest?

Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans - Little Dancer of Fourteen Years (1880) (Original sculpted in wax. There are 70 bronze reproductions of the sculpture cast after Degas died.

The original was constructed out of very unusual items: pigmented beeswax, with a metal frame, rope, and paintbrushes covered by clay for structural support.

6 Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans - Little Dancer of Fourteen Years (1880) (Original sculpted in wax. There are 70 bronze reproductions of the sculpture cast after Degas died.) This 38 inch tall sculpture is really fascinating. It is of a young dancer, but it is not a typical pose or facial expression. The original was constructed out of very unusual items: pigmented beeswax, with a metal frame, rope, and paintbrushes covered by clay for structural support. Ask: How do you think the artist assembled these items? What did he use and where? The braid, the dress and ribbon are real, the only part of the statue that is not sculpture. The braid is actual hair! Later, Degas family had the sculpture cast in bronze to sell, there are 72 figures cast. Where the stature is displayed many times her dress and ribbon are added according to the ballet clothing secured by the museum, so you will see this sculpture dressed up in many different tutus. General Discussion of the sculpture: What words would you use to describe her? What feeling is the artist trying to capture? Does this sculpture look realistic? Why or why not? Online Sources:

ART 1100 A: Intro to the Visual Arts CRN: 22177

O Keeffe vs. Degas 1 ART 1100 A: Intro to the Visual Arts CRN: 22177 Georgia O Keeffe vs. Edgar Degas Tiera Ford Student ID: 870-286-261 April 19, 2011 O Keeffe vs. Degas 2 The purpose of this paper is