Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas (1834-1917 ) was a French impressionist artist, who found fame through his painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking. Never to have reconciled himself to the label of “Impressionist,” Degas preferred to be called a realist, or even an independent artist, as he favored painting indoors over Plein-air landscapes like many of his impressionist counterparts. Edgar Degas Paintings featured on Bidsquare remain sought out by collectors.

Degas experimented with a variety of media, but it was his iconic pastel drawings and oil paintings that brought him prominence. His refined drawing style set him apart from the others, expanding a new definition of modern art, as his innovations contributed significantly to impressionism through portraits of modern Paris, especially for his depictions of ballerinas. Some of his other favorite themes include racehorses, racing jockeys, and double portraits that explore the psychological complexity and depiction of human isolation.

Edgar Degas is regarded as one of the finest portrait artists in the history of art. As his career progressed, Degas focussed solely on dancers and nude forms and eventually turned to sculpture which became his new and favorite medium due to his failing eyesight. He primarily viewed his sculpture to portray the fluidity of his dancers, exploring the medium as a means of researching movement.

Today, Edgar Degas's Artworks are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Musée d’Orsay, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Phillips Collection, and the National Gallery in London, among others. One can find Edgar Degas art at online auction on Bidsquare.

Interesting Facts about Edgar Degas

• He referred to the ballerinas he painted as his “little monkey girls.”
• Degas was a lifelong bachelor.
• Danceuse au Repos (ca. 1879) by Degas sold for $37 million in 2008.