This beautiful volume offers an astonishingly rich and detailed view of one of the greatest French artists of the 19th century. Edgar Degas (1834-1917) is primarily associated with the Impressionists, the group which did most to fashion a truly modern tradition in European painting.Yet his superb mastery of form and composition, even when apparently at his most spontaneous, marks out Degas as a profoundly original talent whose reputation continues to grow to this day.

Introduction

Degas" a feeling for words

The apprentice years 185OS--C1870

The Impressionist era 1870-1885

Late maturity and old age 1886-c1912

Degas by his contemporaries

List of plates

Guide to principal personalities

mentioned in text

Further reading

Text sources