Edgar Degas: The Most Classical of the Impressionists

Edgar Degas was born on July 19, 1834, in Paris. Known for his reclusive and often brusque personality, he described himself as driven by doubt and ill humor. An admirer of Ingres, Degas joined the Impressionist group but diverged from their focus on en plein air landscapes. Instead, he emphasized classical traditions, studying Renaissance masters at the Louvre and during a self-funded trip to Italy, bypassing the Prix de Rome. Degas sought to capture the essence of movement and everyday life, famously stating, "It is fine to copy what one sees, but it is better to draw what one no longer sees except in memory." His series of ballerinas and women at their toilette reflect his interest in capturing motion and intimate moments, using pastels to achieve a synthesis of movement that photography could not. Baudelaire wrote that Degas loved the human body as a material harmony, like beautiful architecture with added movement. The painting "L'Absinthe" (1875, Musée d'Orsay) exemplifies his ability to merge figure and environment, portraying defeated subjects with cold objectivity. Degas rejected the idea of a fixed style, saying, "Happy me, who has not found my style, which would infuriate me!" He died in Paris on September 27, 1917.