Edgar Degas
Ballet dancers, racehorses — the eye of modern life
The Impressionist who hated being called one. His real subject was modern Paris seen from unexpected angles — ballet dancers from the wings, racehorses from above, women bathing unaware. His draftsmanship was the finest since Ingres; his pastels are the most luminous in art history.
Key works
- The Dance Class1874— Rehearsal — effort beneath the graceMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York / Musee d'Orsay, Paris
- L'Absinthe1876— Cafe despair — modern alienationMusee d'Orsay, Paris