Edgar Degas Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Born in Paris in 1834, Edgar Degas was raised in an affluent family with a strong appreciation for the arts. His early life was steeped in culture and learning, which was further enriched by his education at the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Degas went on to study law briefly, but the pull of art proved stronger, leading him to enrol at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His education was complemented by extensive travels in Italy, where he honed his skills by studying the works of Renaissance masters, an experience that shaped his approach to composition and form.

Degas's development is characterised by his ceaseless experimentation with technique and a fascination with the human figure in motion. His early work included history paintings, but he soon shifted his focus to contemporary subjects. He became known for his intimate, behind-the-scenes portrayals of Parisian life, capturing the subtleties of ballet rehearsals, horse races, and the private moments of women in their home.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Degas was not interested in plein air painting; instead, he preferred the controlled environment of the studio where he could meticulously construct his compositions. His use of unusual viewpoints and cropping, influenced by photography and Japanese prints, helped forge a unique visual language that set his work apart.

Degas's involvement with the Impressionists was marked by his participation in their independent exhibitions. Though he shared their interest in modern life and the effects of light, his work often displayed a more classical and realist bent. This dichotomy in his art reflects Degas's complex relationship with the movement – he was an Impressionist in his themes and independence, but traditionalist in his methods and aesthetic discipline.

Throughout his career, Degas's art was well-received, with several significant exhibitions cementing his reputation. His work was widely collected, and he was an influential figure among younger artists. As his eyesight deteriorated in later years, Degas turned increasingly to sculpture and pastel, which allowed him to continue expressing his fascination with movement and form.

Edgar Degas was fascinated with the study of movement, particularly that of dancers, which became his most recurrent subject matter. His intimate behind-the-scenes portrayals of ballerinas – at practice, mid-performance, and at rest – are some of his most celebrated works. Degas's unique composition, often cropping subjects asymmetrically and depicting them from unusual angles, was influenced by photography and Japanese prints.
While Degas is widely known for his pastel drawings and oil paintings, he was also an adept sculptor. His only sculpture exhibited to the public during his lifetime was The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, which caused quite a stir for its unconventional realism when it was presented in 1881. The majority of his sculptures were found in his studio after his death. These works were posthumously cast in bronze and revealed Degas's understanding of form and his ability to capture the essence of his subjects in three dimensions.
Degas had an enduring interest in the human eye and its perception of the world. In the latter part of his life, he suffered from serious eyesight problems that affected his ability to work. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, his exploration of visual experience deepened in his art. Degas experimented with bold colour contrasts and a looser brushwork as his sight declined, demonstrating his commitment to evolving his methods.