Edgar Degas
1834 – 1917
Note to Presenters:
Please bring the following with you to the classroom
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Poster of the Dancing Class and Ballet School
Elements of Art posters
Art in the Classroom
Edgar Degas
The Dance Class
The Big Picture: Edgar Degas
Personal Data
Name:
Born:
Died:
Lived:
Family:
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas (Later shortened to Edgar Degas)
July 19, 1834
September 27, 1917
Degas lived most of his life in France, but traveled around Italy for
Several years.
Edgar was the oldest of five children. He never got married.
Professional Data
Type of Artist:
Degas is considered an impressionist painter. He also worked
With pastels and created some sculptures.
Artistic Credo:
“In art, nothing should look like chance, not even movement.”
Famous Artwork:
The Dance Class, The Bellelli Family, Chanteuse de Café, Little
Dancer Aged Fourteen.
The Life of Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas was born Hilaire-Germaine-Edgar de Gas on July 19, 1834 in Paris
France. His father, Auguste, was a banker and his mother, Celestine, was an
American from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the oldest of five children. The
family changed the spelling to Degas, since “de” meant a wealthy family owning
large plots of land, which was not true of their family. Edgar later shortened his own
name, to make it easier to remember his artwork. He came from a very musical
household. His mother was an amateur opera singer and his father often hired
musicians to give performances in their home. His mother died when he was
thirteen, so his father and grandfather were the major influences in his life.
He began to paint early in his life. By the age of eighteen, Degas received permission
to copy works in the Louvre, which is how many artists developed their techniques.
His father wanted him to become a lawyer, so he entered law school, but did not put
much effort into his studies. Two years later, he was admitted to the Ecole des
Beaux-Arts, where he began to flourish as an artist. However, he left after only one
year and spent the next three years traveling, painting, and studying in Italy. There
Art in the Classroom
Edgar Degas
The Dance Class
he painted copies from the great Italian artists, such as Michelangelo and da Vinci
and learned the importance of classical lines in painting. He carried this training
throughout his career.
Degas returned to Paris in 1859, determined to make a name for himself as a
painter. He painted large portraits for families and historical scenes. At this time in
Paris, artwork was controlled by a powerful group of artists called the Salon. This
group was not impressed with Degas’ work. In 1868, Degas and a group of artists
including Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley,
decided to present their artwork on their own. Unfortunately, France was
experiencing difficult times, and Degas volunteered for the French National Guard
when the Franco-Prussian War broke out. The war ended in 1871 and Degas could
return to Paris to focus on art once again.
Artistic Career
In 1873, Degas, Monet, Sisley and several other painters formed the Societe
Anonyme des Artistes, which put on exhibits not controlled by the Salon. This group
of painters became known as the Impressionists. Impressionists painted the world
around them using bright, dazzling colors and concentrating on the effects of light.
Most works by impressionists focus on outdoor scenes and use natural light.
Because he preferred scenes in theaters and cafes, using artificial light, he referred
to himself as a realist or independent. Most people today refer to him as an
impressionist since he was one of the founders of the group and organized many of
the exhibits. Also like an impressionist, Degas captures brief moments in the flow of
life.
Degas chose subjects of common life such as a laundress, a Parisian at a café, a ballet
dancer. He eventually produced 1,500 works on ballet dancers. He liked to use
dancers because he could capture the movement of the human body in his paintings.
Unlike many artists of his time, rather than painting a portrait, he tried to capture a
moment in a frame, as in a photograph. He also liked to repeat a subject many times,
from different angles.
The Dance Class
Degas completed The Dance Class in 1874. He worked in oil paint on a canvas. This
painting is one of several versions of the same subject. The poses are so lifelike that
each dancer seems almost ready to move. He captured the dancers in many
Art in the Classroom
Edgar Degas
The Dance Class
different poses while waiting for the ballet class to begin. In true impressionist style,
he uses splashes of bright color to capture the eye of his audience.
His Later Years
Degas did not have any formal pupils, but his work did influence several important
painters. He believed that “the artist must live alone, and his private life must
remain unknown.” He did not have many close friends and he never married. As he
got older, his eyesight began to fail and he focused more on photography and less on
painting. He mostly kept to himself and in 1917 he died at the age of 83.
Discussion Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is happening in this painting?
What feeling is the artist trying to capture?
Does this painting look realistic? Why or why not?
Use the elements of art posters to discuss:
A. Light: Where is the light source coming from?
B. Line: Which lines suggest movement?
C. Shape: Which shapes are represented in the painting?
D. Space: What is the focal point of the painting? How does Degas lead your
eyes there? (The instructor is the focal point with the diagonal lines of the
floor boards leading your eyes there.
E. Color: Where do you see splashes of color? What kind of emotions do they
suggest?
F. How does Degas convey texture in the costumes?
5. What characteristics of impressionism do you see in the painting?
Bibliography
www.biography.com/edgar-degas
www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dgsp
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Degas
Art in the Classroom
Program Goal:
The foremost goal of this program is to help children to enjoy and appreciate
looking at art, whether it be that of a Master or a contemporary artist. We want
them to develop their natural talents as observers and to feel free to articulate what
they think without the impediments of “right” or “wrong.” We believe an effective
art appreciation program should encourage children to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Look at art and be inquisitive about it;
Learn the fundamentals and vocabulary of art;
Think visually to look and analyze what they see;
Become familiar with famous artworks, artists and art history;
Appreciate different styles of art.
Helpful Hints and Reminders
Length of Presentation: Your presentation should be half an hour.
Materials for the Presentation: The artwork and materials from the bin in the AIC
closet area marked “do not remove from school” should be removed only when doing
a presentation, and returned immediately thereafter. Sometimes presentations are
scheduled back to back, and the next presenter will need the materials – there is
only one set.
Materials That May Be Signed Out: Materials in the closet and materials in the
bin that are not labeled “do not remove from school” may be borrowed overnight.
Please sign out the materials on the Sign Out Sheet after 3:30 p.m., and return by 9:00
a.m. the next morning. The whole bin can not be signed out – only individual
materials in the bin. Please be respectful of other presenters who may also wish to
review the provided materials.
Tailor the Presentation: Practice with your child at home to see how the interest
level holds. You may find that you need to adjust your presentation and the content
for your class’s age level and appropriateness.
Activities: This program is a general overview of the featured artwork and artist.
Activities for the classroom are designed to be group-discussion-related, and not an
actual art project. Some activities may be suggested for the students to try at home.
Siblings: There is only a limited amount of time for the presentation. We ask that
siblings not join you for the presentation – it can be overwhelming to the younger
sibling, and disruptive to the students, the teacher, and you.
Have Fun!