| Biography | French painter. Born in Paris. Studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Traveled to Italy at the age of twenty-two, where he studied Renaissance paintings. After returning to Paris, he befriended such artists as Manet, Monet, Pissarro and Renoir. In 1874, he participated in the first Impressionist exhibition, and took part in a total of seven of their exhibitions. Early in his career, he painted classical portraits under the influence of such artists as Ingres. He soon shifted to subject matters of modern life in Paris, depicting many motifs familiar to the upper class, such as stage dancers and horse races. While other Impressionist painters went outdoors to depict subjects such as landscapes, Degas preferred to depict artificial urban culture inside his studio. |
