Edgar Degas Flashcards
(18 cards)
When was Degas born?
19th July 1834
When did Degas die?
27th September 1917
What nationality was Degas?
French
What art movement was Degas part of?
Realism and Impressionist
What made Degas a realism painter?
His ability to paint/draw with precision to the real world
early on he avoided stylisation and trained himself the art of realistic and detailed painting
What made Degas an impressionist painter?
His focus on movement and light and how he observed his subjects in real time (dancers)
His quick/broken brushstrokes created impressions of his subjects as he enhanced certain visual elements like colour
What art methods did Degas use?
Painting, sculpting, drawing, printing (lithography/aquatint/etching)
What subjects/themes did Degas explore in his work?
Contemporary or modern life
Human isolation
Dancers
Horse racers
Female nudes
Parisian everyday life/activities
Copied masterpieces of renaissance
What education did Degas receive?
Lycee Louis-le-Grand - studied literature, graduated at 18
Louvre Museum - worked as a copyist
Ecole des Beaux-Arts - studied art under guidance of Louis Lamonthe
Historical and cultural influence
lithography was new in Degas’ period (1800), allowed him to be in its artistic prime
Historical and cultural influence - Time period
lithography was new in Degas’ period (1800), allowed him to be in its artistic prime
lived in the era of ‘La Belle Epoque’ (1871-1914) which was a time of peace, prosperity, technological innovations, where poets/artistes/philosophers/theatre flourished
1868 Degas was in a group of avant-garde artists who discussed how to engage with the world
in 1870 the Franco-Prussian war happened and Degas volunteered for the National Guard
Historical and Cultural - Personal influences
Born in a moderately wealthy family with 4 younger siblings
father and grandfather were main human influences
was mentored by Louis Lamonthe in arts
What were Degas’ artistic influences?
Lithography - Eugene Delacroix’s dramatic/fluid prints
Ukiyo-e Hokusai - bold, stylistic and flat composition
Renaissance - realism
Italian - framing and cropping of figures
What media and materials did Degas use?
Oil and canvas
Dry pastels
Paper, pencil and charcoal
clay
gouache
watercolour
How did Degas use his media uniquely?
He bleached pastels in the sun to lighten them
wet pastel with water and adhesive like casein and applied them like paint
powered pastels to make translucent layers of colour
put boards over drawings and stomped on them to crush pastels into it
used watercolour and gouache to soften contours of figures
What techniques did Degas use in his works?
Hatching to create texture and contrast between things
contrast dry and wet pastel
angled and exaggerated lines by curving, straightening or thickening them
used flat brushes for impressionist effect
layered charcoal sketches with pastels
mixed medias like oils, pastels and charcoals
used fixative to build layers of pastel
ran charcoal drawings thru presses to create negative images of it on new paper
What was Degas’ studio process like?
Degas captured fleeting moments and often observed subjects in real time
his process was fluid and spontaneous (process changed with the subject and media)
used mixed media and lots of layering
How did Degas develop his distinctive style?
He was influenced by realism masters, stylised prints, and real life
These factors all created his exaggerated style that focused on light and movement, but he still could capture forms realistically
he focused on peoples mannerisms, appearances, postures and told stories with those features from a POV like perspective
