Tuesday, April 5, 2016

A-Z Challenge: D is for Degas

Self-portrait
As I mentioned yesterday, my love of Impressionism is founded in a fleeting image I had for my current novel.

The painting my protagonist viewed in the d'Orsay museum is Degas' Rehearsal on Stage.

I think I'm drawn to this painting because it resembles a photograph, with its sepia tones, candid perspective, and authenticity of the hard life of a ballerina. It isn't all glitz and glamour.
As I researched Degas, however, I learned to love him. Now mind you, I am NOT an art historian - or an art anything... so this opinion is based on nothing but my own thoughts. But to me... Degas is the Darcy of the Impressionist world.

Rehearsal on Stage
Degas came from a wealthy family. He wasn't landed gentry, but he did not fit the starving artist image. Degas was a loner, an introvert. He did not make idle chit chat, and when asked his opinion, he did not mince words.

Degas was known as surly, difficult, moody. He did not play well with others and often considered an island unto himself: he badmouthed the artists'  salon, and yet did not embrace the "plein air" painting of the Impressionists. He was a perfectionist who was never satisfied with his own work. In fact, he once said he wished he could buy back all his pictures and destroy them.

Ballerinas - painted later in Degas' life
Perhaps I like  Degas (and Darcy) because I too am a misunderstood perfectionist. My shyness is often misconstrued as being aloof. My perfectionism prevents me from trying something new.


Women Ironing - Degas
Degas suffered from a degenerative eye condition. At the height of his career, he had to shield his eyes from bright light. He was known for wearing blue spectacles, which helped dim the sun when walking outside during the day. Over the years, his eyesight grew worse and worse, as evidenced by his paintings. Pastels are more forgiving than oils - and the soft "impressions" of ballerinas replaced the fine detail of their movements in earlier works.

While Degas is most known for his Ballerina paintings, he also enjoyed painting horse races (again, he loved capturing the graceful movement of the powerhouse animals), and everyday life of ordinary people. Some say his paintings are like peering through the keyhole to spy on life within.





20 comments:

  1. I'm definitely familiar with his work but didn't know much about him! I'll bet a lot of artists are introverts.
    I love that your protagonist looks at the painting. My WIP also features a museum scene :)

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    1. I agree... I bet artists are like writers - we like to create in the privacy of our room, alone with our own thoughts :)

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  2. I love Degas! And his ballerinas are absolutely gorgeous!

    Cheers!
    Modern Gypsy

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    1. I was never into ballet as a child (much too clumsy)... but I love his ability to capture the real life of these graceful athletes.

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  3. What a tragedy for an artist to have vision problems! Thanks for this art history lesson. Although I've heard of Degas, I didn't know much about him.

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    1. I agree... I can't imagine a career in the visual arts with a vision impairment. I have tremendous respect for his talent as well as his determination.

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  4. He really was an intersting character. Does he appear in your story?

    @JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter - Jazz Age Jazz

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    1. He does :) In my first draft, he had a major role; in this revision, he is a minor character.

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    1. I see what you did there... D alliteration on D-Day :)

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  6. I remember learning about Degas in French classes in high school, but I'm not sure we ever learned why he chose to paint dancers... interesting to learn about his eye condition, which may explain why he preferred to paint indoors.

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    1. I was a French major - took French throughout elementary school and then in high school - and never once did we study the French artists :( I guess I'm making up for lost time.

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  7. I'm afraid that, though I've heard of Degas, I'm not terribly familiar with his work. But I've loved looking at your post on him and reading a bit about his life. Great job!

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  8. HUGE fan of Degas here. Yes, "like peeping through a keyhole"—I've heard that before. He managed to capture the underside of what was then considered a glamorous, if not exactly respectable, life, and render it onto canvas like snapshots. Except they're not still at all; his magic is that he seems to have captured not just the moment but the movement. I love him, and I loved your post :)
    Guilie @ Life In Dogs (and member of co-host Damyanti's team, D's Company )

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    1. Thank you so much for your added insight and wonderful words of encouragement! As I mentioned above, I am not an art history expert and often worry about speaking of these Master artists... but I am thrilled that you enjoyed the post.

      Thank you so much for stopping by :)

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  9. Degas, sigh. He was so talented. I enjoy his paintings, I'm a fool for most impressionists. But I adore his sculptures.

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    1. I have not yet developed an appreciation for sculpture, but I'm sure it will come in time :)

      I think my favorite artist is Van Gogh. In fact, I hope to write a sequel to this novel that focuses on his life and his art.

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  10. Replies
    1. I'm so excited I'm not the only one who can envision this parallel :)

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