Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas (1834-1917), French impressionist painter and sculptor, born Edgar de Gas. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Paris and his early paintings, such as Spartan Girls and Boys Exercising (1860), reflect his classical training. Influenced by photography and Japanese prints, he became interested in portraying movement and the effects of light. His best-known works often depict dancers or racehorses; these include the paintings At the Races (1869-72) and Dancers (1899) and the bronze statuette Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer (c. 1880). He became blind in later years.
