Degas (Basic Art)

Degas (Basic Art)

<strong>Dance class: The master of bodies in motion</strong><br /><br />Most commonly associated with the birth of the Impressionist movement in mid-19th-century Paris, <strong>Edgar Degas</strong> (1834–1917) in fact defied easy categorization and instead developed a unique style, strongly influenced by <strong>Old Masters, the body in motion, and everyday urban life</strong>.<br /><br />The elder scion of a wealthy family, Degas cofounded a series of exhibitions of “Impressionist” art, but soon disassociated himself from the group in pursuit of a more realist approach. His subjects centered on the <strong>teeming, noisy streets of Paris</strong>, as well as its leisure entertainments, such as horse racing, cabarets, and, most particularly, ballet. With often ambitious, off-kilter vantage points, his <strong>images of ballerinas numbered approximately 1,500 works</strong>, all deeply invested in the physicality and the discipline of dance.<br /><br/>Through illustrations of <em>Foyer de la Danse</em> (1872), <em>Musicians in the Orchestra</em> (1872) and many more, this book provides an essential overview of the artist who resisted categorization but created a category of his own, <strong>a world of classical resonance, bold compositions, and an endless fascination with movement</strong>, which together produced some of the most striking and influential works of the era.<br /><br /><strong>About the series:</strong><br />Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features:<ul> <li> a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance <li> a concise biography <li> approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions</ul>