Edgar Degas

art · impressionism · dancers · pastels

Master of Pastels. Degas became famous for using pastels, which are like super-soft colored crayons, to create beautiful paintings. His pastel works were so detailed and colorful that people loved them even more than traditional oil paintings.

Obsessed with Dancers. Degas spent countless hours watching ballet performances in Paris and drawing the dancers in rehearsal. His paintings of ballerinas stretching, practicing, and performing are some of his most famous works that people still love today.

Different View of Beauty. Instead of painting grand important moments, Degas loved capturing everyday scenes like people washing themselves, sitting in cafes, or working. This fresh way of looking at ordinary life made him a key figure in the Impressionist art movement.

Technical Pioneer. Degas experimented with new ways to arrange his paintings, sometimes cutting off figures at the edges like a camera snapshot. He studied Japanese art and photography to find fresh ideas for how to compose his pictures.

Careful Artist. Though Degas was an Impressionist, he planned his paintings more carefully than some of his artist friends. He made many sketches and studies before creating his final masterpieces.