1834-1917

The rendering in art of his fascination with movement – depictions of women in their baths or performing handwork; renderings of ballet and horseracing – exemplifies Edgar Degas’s mastery of fluidity. The artist drew late pastels when he was nearly sightless, Japanese-influenced compositions where obliquely positioned figure forms dominate, preserving a sense of intimacy and mystery.  “It’s a transformation during which the imagination collaborates with the memory ... their recollections and fantasies are freed from the tyranny exerted by nature,” Degas said.  Degas attended Lycée Louis-le-Grand and Ecole des Beaux Arts.  His Durand-Ruel (1892) solo exhibition ultimately secured his preeminent stature. Permanent collections are housed in the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Städel Museum, the Tate Gallery and other museums worldwide.