Edgar Degas Research Paper

Edgar Degas was making drawings of the ballerinas and dancers in the 19th century. French artist Edgar Degas created hundreds of artworks that captured the ballet world of 19th century Paris. Degas regularly went to the Palais Garnier Opera House to observe the ballerinas (Edgar Degas). His focus was on their natural movement as they practiced. Exploring the way the dancers' bodies flowed through performance. Edgar showed a talent for drawing while young and wanted to become and artist. Edgar spent a lot of time at the Louvre a famous art museum in Paris. He loved to paint the dancers practicing. He wanted to capture their energy, hard work and effort. He copied many of the masterpieces of classical artists. Most people know Degas as the painter of ballerinas. …show more content…
But in his thirties, his eyesight began to fail, causing him to become very sensitive to bright lights. He continued to paint in the darkened atmosphere of the ballet studio. Until his eyesight worsened and he turned to tactile art of sculpture. One of his words is “ I have had to give up drawing and painting… and for years now content myself with sculpture. ” It was during this period that Degas created his famous sculpture ( Little Dancer). “ The little fourteen year old dancer” modeled after young ballet student named Marie Van Goethem. The work features ballet slippers cast in bronze. By the time Degas was 57 he could no longer read and near the end of his life he had lost the majority of his vision. But it was a Degas artistic vision that made him a 19th century master of Modern Art ( Edgar Degas