What Are Edgar Degas' Most Notable Pieces Of Art?

Edgar Degas was a late-19th Century artist who is often said to be one of the forefathers of the Impressionist movement. His work was notable for its depiction of the human body in everyday, contemporary environments.

Much of his work focuses on dance, and particularly children dancing. One of his most famous paintings is Le Classe de Dance, depicting a number of ballet dancers clustered around a teacher, who is resting on a large cane. This work is particularly notable because of its composition. In this painting figures are severed in two by the edge of the canvas, and all of its subjects are carrying on their business as if the painter was not there. In this way Degas broke away from the previous tradition of portraiture, and also informed modern-day photographers taking 'candid' portraits of people in their natural environments.

Towards the end of the artist's life he began to return to some of the characteristics of the Impressionist movement which he had long since abandoned. He began a series depicting women during their bathing rituals, using long, violent brush strokes and, to a certain extent, abandoning the obsession with figure and accuracy which had characterised his early work.

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