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by
Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
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Artist Edgar Degas had a unique style which sat somewhere between Impressionism and Realism.

His paintings remain amongst the most loved in all of art history.

This educated Frenchman was closely linked to the rise of Impressionism, but preferred to keep this group of painters at arm's length. Whilst renowned for his sketches and full scale paintings of ballerina scenes, Degas also took in other themes during his career.

You will find a selection of some of the more famous paintings in this section. Race course scenes can be found here as well as many portrait. Human and animal anatomy was clearly an interest for Degas, and he developed the skills to reproduce them accurately.

Drawing as a foundation to painting

The likes of Degas and earlier artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo have underlined their artistic abilities as draughtsmen with pencil or chalk sketches. These would then underpin their larger mural or fresco work. By Degas' time, the techniques of artists had moved closer towards the oils on canvas that we see today.

Life in Paris

Parisian life offered this artist a wealth of inspirations for his work, from the rich cultural experiences of cafe life to the richer past times of the Paris elite. Degas was someone who found interest in all walks of life, not just the richest.

The Degas family had a background in the banking industry but Edgar's passion was art, and art only. He was fortunate in being able to concentrate entirely on this right across his career, possibly to the detriment of his personal life. He never married.

The images of his work that you will find below provide examples of cutting edge impressionism and realism, which helped to shape the future of European art. Degas was your talented but sometimes brash and unwelcoming artist. He was someone you would always respect, but not necessarily like in a social sense.

Traditional artistic education

Degas was trained in the classical artistic styles and also appreciated such work on a personal level. Much of his early work went along a similar path as he set about learning more bout himself and understanding what style he preferred for his own work. The key influences on Degas at this stage would be Manet and Ingres.

Broad range of themes in Degas' oeuvre

This was an artist who would cover all main themes during his career, including facial portraits, landscapes and full length anatomical studies. There was an uncertainty in France during the early years of his life and this was matched by an art world which was enjoying new influences. Impressionism was to build momentum, with Degas a key figure.

His slightly different style and opinionated character meant his relationship with other impressionists was rarely comfortable. In the 1890s Degas took a new direction in his work, concentrating entirely on landscape painting for several years. This followed a fallow period where the artist had clearly been introspecting over a possible new series of work that could inspire him once more.

Inspiration from travel

Some say his inspiration for these scenes came from train journeys, from where he would view some stunning French countryside. Many will make immediate comparisons with the work of Claude Monet, both in terms of colour and composition. Degas frequently reduced detail and 'clutter' to an absolute minimum.

A desire to distance himself from the likes of Monet did not translate as a disliking for his work. On the contrary, the influence of Monet is clear to see within this period of his life. Whilst Monet would often work plein-air, memory was key to Degas' landscapes. He would retire to his studio with scenes clearly laid out in his mind from earlier trips. Ingres had indeed advised this course of action to him as a budding student.


The Tub Edgar Degas
The Tub
The Dancing Class Edgar Degas
The Dancing Class
After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself Edgar Degas
After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself
Ballet Rehearsal Edgar Degas
Ballet Rehearsal
The Blue Dancers Edgar Degas
The Blue Dancers
The Dance Foyer at the Opera on the Rue le Peletier Edgar Degas
The Dance Foyer at the Opera on the Rue le Peletier
Dancers on the Stage Edgar Degas
Dancers on the Stage
Dancers at the Barre Edgar Degas
Dancers at the Barre
The Ballet Rehearsal on Stage Edgar Degas
The Ballet Rehearsal on Stage
The Rehearsal of the Ballet on Stage Edgar Degas
The Rehearsal of the Ballet on Stage
Young Spartans Exercising Edgar Degas
Young Spartans Exercising
Dancers Practicing at the Barre Edgar Degas
Dancers Practicing at the Barre
Interior Edgar Degas
Interior
At the Café-Concert Edgar Degas
At the Café-Concert
At the Milliner's Edgar Degas
At the Milliner's
Place de la Concorde Edgar Degas
Place de la Concorde
Waiting Edgar Degas
Waiting
Portraits at the Stock Exchange Edgar Degas
Portraits at the Stock Exchange
The Dance Lesson Edgar Degas
The Dance Lesson
Women Ironing Edgar Degas
Women Ironing
The Star (Dancer on Stage) Edgar Degas
The Star (Dancer on Stage)
Dancer Resting Edgar Degas
Dancer Resting
The Fallen Jockey Edgar Degas
The Fallen Jockey
Two Dancers on Stage Edgar Degas
Two Dancers on Stage
Combing the Hair Edgar Degas
Combing the Hair