Edgar Degas

The last couple of classes in art history (19th century European) we've been talking about the Impressionists.  Today we talked about Degas.  I've always admired his work.  I've got a book of his drawings of dancers.  my professor, Richard Gantt, has pointed out just how sophisticated and brilliant Degas' compositions are, how they are dynamically balanced/symmetrical.  I had never payed that much attention to his layouts; I've always been so distracted by his perfect drawings and coloring.  Now that I see it, I am even more fascinated.  In a lot of his paintings, he clusters a bunch of figures in one corner and the rest of the painting is sparse, but it works!  He's got just enough elements and just the right colors and lighting to make it work.  Brilliant!  Here's a couple of my favorite Degas paintings.  A great website for Degas images is http://www.edgar-degas.org/

Dancers Practicing at the Barre
Dancers in Pink
Ballet Rehearsal, 1873