THE LIFE AND ART OF FRENCH IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER, EDGAR DEGAS.

Through Edgar Degas’s beloved paintings, drawings, and sculptures, Susan Goldman Rubin conveys the wonder and excitement of the ballet world. Degas is one of the most celebrated painters of the impressionist movement, and his ballerina paintings are among the most favorite of his fans. In his artwork, Degas captures every moment, from the relentless hours of practice to the glamour of appearing on stage, revealing a dancer’s journey from novice to prima ballerina. Observing young students, Degas drew their poses again and again, determined to achieve perfection. The book includes a brief biography of his entire life, endnotes, bibliography, where to see his paintings, and an index.

Edgar Degas seems never to have reconciled himself to the label of "Impressionist," preferring to call himself a "Realist" or "Independent." Nevertheless, he was one of the group’s founders, an organizer of its exhibitions, and one of its most important core members. Like the Impressionists, he sought to capture fleeting moments in the flow of modern life, yet he showed little interest in painting plain air landscapes, favoring scenes in theaters and cafes illuminated by artificial light, which he used to clarify the contours of his figures, adhering to his Academic training. He is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers. He also was a superb draftsman, and particularly masterful in depicting movement, as can be seen in his interpretations of dancers and female nudes. His portraits are notable for their psychological complexity and for their portrayal of human isolation.

An introduction to the life and work of nineteenth-century French artist Edgar Degas, discussing his cultural and historical importance, and including a chronology and over one hundred color illustrations with explanatory captions.

Carefully reproduced from a rare 1923 limited edition, most of these magnificent drawings are unavailable elsewhere in published form. Dancers, nudes, portraits, travel scenes, and more. 100 drawings, including 8 in full color.

Degas's major surviving photographs, little known even among devotees of the artist's paintings and pastels, are analyzed and reproduced for the first time in this volume, which accompanies an exhibition at The Metropolitan Muscum of Art, The J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.