Author(s): KINSMAN JANE

Art

Born in Paris in 1834, Edgar Degas art was considered radical in his adoption of modern subject matter and he was to become a key figure in the evolution of modern art. "Degas: The Uncontested Master" covers the period from Degas' early portraiture and historical subject matter of the 1870s through his move to modern subject matter, to his late experimental paintings and photographs from the 1890s until his death in 1917. Degas exhibited with a group of other young artists who came to be known as the Impressionists, but he was seen to stand apart from them in his treatment and choice of subjects. The book includes work from the many mediums Degas used painting, sculpture, printing, pastels monotypes and photography and his favourite subjects: the ballet, the opera, the racetrack, women in bordellos and bathing, milliners and laundresses. It conveys the richness of colour and Degas' experimental approach with his mediums. A major essay by curator Jane Kinsman looks at Degas' role in organising the first Impressionist exhibitions and the break from the traditions of the Salon, quoting prominent critics of the time. The second major essay, by internationally renowned Degas expert Michael Pantazzi, presents a detailed biography of Degas with many new facts never before published.