What Makes a Degas a Degas?

Rating:
Summary: A quick education in the artistic style of Edgar Degas
Review: I never had an Art Appreciation class, but if you mention the name Edgar Degas I immediately think of impressionist paintings of dancers. After reading "What Makes a Degas a Degas?" by Richard Muhlberger for this informative series from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I have a fuller appreciation of the artist. Muhlberger explains how Degas was interested in the moments before or after an event as much as the event itself, often portraying scenes from modern life traditionally ignored by artists. This book looks in detail at thirteen painting by Degas, including "The Bellelli Family," "A Woman Seated Beside a Vase of Flowers," and "The Dance Class." Often details from the paintings are enlarged or we get to see some of the sketches and drawings Degas made in preparation for his paintings. After reading this slim but informative volume, I understand that Degas like to cut figures off at the edge of the canvas to create a candid effect, would play with the different perspective in the same painting, used patches of brilliant colors to create feelings of movement, and used large, open spaces to draw the eye of the viewer deeper into the picture. Not a bad education to receive in under a half hour of reading. Other volumes in this series look at Monet, Bruegel, Raphael, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. I will be working my way through all of these in the weeks to come.

Rating:
Summary: A quick education in the artistic style of Edgar Degas
Review: I never had an Art Appreciation class, but if you mention the name Edgar Degas I immediately think of impressionist paintings of dancers. After reading "What Makes a Degas a Degas?" by Richard Muhlberger for this informative series from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I have a fuller appreciation of the artist. Muhlberger explains how Degas was interested in the moments before or after an event as much as the event itself, often portraying scenes from modern life traditionally ignored by artists. This book looks in detail at thirteen painting by Degas, including "The Bellelli Family," "A Woman Seated Beside a Vase of Flowers," and "The Dance Class." Often details from the paintings are enlarged or we get to see some of the sketches and drawings Degas made in preparation for his paintings. After reading this slim but informative volume, I understand that Degas like to cut figures off at the edge of the canvas to create a candid effect, would play with the different perspective in the same painting, used patches of brilliant colors to create feelings of movement, and used large, open spaces to draw the eye of the viewer deeper into the picture. Not a bad education to receive in under a half hour of reading. Other volumes in this series look at Monet, Bruegel, Raphael, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. I will be working my way through all of these in the weeks to come.