Art Appreciation extra credit assignment

EDGAR DEGAS

HE LOVED GREATLY TO DRAW

My sister wanted to be a ballerina. For her 10^th birthday, my mother painstakingly copied one of the ballerina paintings by Edgar Degas to use as the card in which she told my sister she was going to get the coveted dance lessons. She used colored pencil on light gray paper, of which I like to think Degas would have approved. My sister might have loved the dance lessons, but the way I see it, the best gift was the drawing.  I still have the book of masterpieces mom copied it from. The small town I grew up in didn’t have any galleries, so that book was as close as I got to fine arts.

Edgar Degas was born July 19, 1834 in Paris, France. His father, Augustin, was a wealthy banker, and his mother was a Creole from New Orleans. Degas wanted to be a painter from a very young age, but his father wanted him to be a lawyer. He went to law school for a short time, but his father eventually gave in and sent him to art school. Degas also had a baccalaureate in literature, but painting was his passion.

In 1856 Degas traveled to Italy where he drew and painted copies of works by Raphael, Michaelangelo, Titian and the other Renaissance artists of that time. Copying paintings was the accepted method of learning to paint, and Degas was very good at it. While in Italy he studied and became proficient in the techniques of high, academic and classical art.

Degas returned to Paris and in 1865 he showed for the first time at the Salon. He had done a series of horse paintings. It was the painting called “Scene of War in the Middle Ages” that was shown, and didn’t get much attention. After that, Degas changed his style and never painted about history again. During that time, while copying paintings in the Louvre, Degas met Edourd Manet, who was a great influence on him.

Degas had problems with his sight. One account suggests that he ‘caught cold’ in his eyes. The problem was first diagnosed when he was in rifle training for the National Guard. In 1870 Degas fought in the Franco-Prussian war. When the war was over he traveled to New Orleans and stayed with relatives. While there, he painted ‘The Cotton Exchange at New Orleans’ which was the only painting sold to a museum during his lifetime.

Degas took care to protect his eyesight and did most of his paintings from memory or preliminary drawings. He didn’t subject himself to the sunlight or inclement weather, so most of his work was done in a studio. He is usually called an Impressionist, but it is said that Degas thought of himself as a ‘Realist.’ He preferred to paint contemporary subject matter, or, people doing every day tasks. He said of himself, "I am a colorist of lines.” Degas’ works covered a broad scope of subject matter, including portraits. His preferred method for painting was pastels, although he also worked with oil. Known as the master of movement, nearly every work by Degas depicts action and movement.  He showed the effect of light, rather than the source of light.  This skill is apparent, especially in his theater paintings that show the effect of “artificial light”, which at that time was gaslight. Degas possessed a desire to show motion from every angle, which was one motivation for his sculpting.

During his life, Degas only exhibited one wax sculpture – “Little Dancer, Aged 14.”  Historians aren’t sure why he never exhibited sculptures again, but speculate that he was averse to the attention it brought him. He never meant for his sculptures to last, having done them in wax, he intended for them to be destroyed by time. After his death, his family made the decision to cast the best-preserved works in bronze.

Although Degas had a close friendship with artist Mary Cassatt, he remained a bachelor all of his life. Degas did devote a lot of his time to painting women, as one third of his works are related to ballet. He also painted laundresses, and over fifty monotypes of ladies of the night. He said that “among common people you find grace.”

As his eyesight got worse, he took up the art of black and white photography. He was a man of many gifts who wrote sonnets about his work. His artist function was to ‘refresh vision and help people see the world in new ways’, as illustrated by his own words; "After seeing my work, a person will never look at the world the same.” With all of his talents, it is clear that Degas loved drawing the most. When he died in 1917 at the age of 83 the only thing he wanted said at his gravesite was this: “He greatly loved drawing.”

I never saw my sister in a tutu, but I remember that drawing mom made for her. Each artist we study is special for different reasons, but learning about Degas has brought back a cherished memory of my mom, and how she copied a masterpiece to present a gift. As I learn about each artist I realize that while the paintings had themes and functions, the most important ‘gift’ is that they remain for us to enjoy.