Edgar Degas The Late Work

Exhibiton Catalogue in the Fondation Beyeler, September 30, 2012 – January 27, 2013. Beyond quaint ballet scenes and graceful ballerinas: rediscovering the multifaceted spectrum of expression and the artistic virtuosity of a bold pioneer of Modernism. In light of the popular, “beautiful” paintings of his Impressionist phase, it is easy to lose sight of the complexity of the oeuvre of Edgar Degas (1834–1917). All his life, the artist experimented with printing techniques and drawing as well as photography and sculpture. In his late work (1890–1910/12), the delicate, detailed painting of his mature period yields to a unique pleasure in technical experimentation and an obsessive creativity, which increasingly liberated the means of depiction from its reproductive function. As if in a dreamlike state, the present and past, things seen and remembered, are united, resulting in nude studies, ballet scenes, landscapes, and portraits. This is the first publication to present a comprehensive view of the technical diversity and wide range of themes in Degas’ oeuvre.