Edgar Degas Art

Edgar Germaine Hilaire Degas

Upon viewing the works of famous French artist Edgar Germaine Hilaire Degas, I noticed a similar theme. No matter the scene conveyed, his works appear mysterious and ominous. Why are his works depicted in this way? Why are the women in his works not portrayed in such a fashion as other artists of the time? Degas admired Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, even though their works contrasted immensely. This is due to the obscurity inside of Degas’ mind. It was said that you would never want to meet Degas the person, but Degas the artist is incredible. What could have caused such a conflict in how he perceived women?

Edgar Degas was born July 19th, 1834 in Paris, France. Born into wealth, Degas became well educated throughout his youth. He studied Law at the University of Paris, due to his father’s desire for him to achieve financial security on his own. However, his love for art was ever-present, even at a young age. He turned his bedroom into his own personal studio by age 18. During his time at the University of Paris, Degas met well-renowned artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, who encouraged him to pursue his talent. Shortly after, Degas was accepted to the premiere Ecole des Beaux-arts ('School of Fine Arts'). Post attendance, Degas traveled to Italy for three years to continue his artistic studies. Degas life was nowhere near perfect, when he was 13 years old, his mother passed away. This caused him tremendous heartache, due to the fact that his mother was a lover of the arts; she was an opera singer and often gave recitals in their home (“Edgar Degas”). She inspired and encouraged his artistic ways.

Unfortunately, her death was the beginning of what would be the rest of Degas’ life-the creation o...

... middle of paper ...

...nd The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Girl (Figure 8).

Edgar Degas’ mind was unique and creative, producing some of the most famous works of the Impressionist period. Although his works were incredibly beautiful and had what could have been positive subject matter, his works often appear eerie and mysterious. This is due to Degas’ inner thoughts and feelings. Beginning with his mother’s death at age 13, Degas never became attached to a woman during his lifetime. This caused him to not only feel aggressive toward women, but also that he could look down upon them and his inferiors. Conflicting thoughts of aggression and admiration filled the mind of Degas, and is seen throughout his body of works. His work appears the way it does to the viewer due to Degas’ inner thoughts, which were not always positive. This allows his works to differ from other artists of the period.