“Degas… et le Nu”… at the Musée d’Orsay…

Degas

et le Nu“….

We… came to admire

The exceptional show… “Degas and the Nude“…

The exhibition organised by the Musée d’Orsay and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The first major exhibition in Paris of Edgar Degassince the 1988 retrospective at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais.

An astonishing… achievement

An exceptional… undertaking

Since many of the pieces are… sensitive to light… and extremely fragile.

Visiting the Musée d’Orsay… has always been a pleasure

The famed museum… which has been newly revamped… was as impressive as ever.

Enteringinto the airy ivory spaces with the huge landmark clockstaring at usgave us the usual thrill

With the added anticipation and excitement of witnessing first-hand the ravishing works paintings, sculptures, charcoals, and flamboyant pastels spanning fifty years of Degasclassical genre painting of the 19th century… until… the avant-garde movements of the 20th century.

Degas… was greatly admired and imitated by two famous artists

Matisse and Picasso.

Although… he was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement… he preferred to be calleda Realist.

A superb draughtsmanhis name was synonymous with the impressionist paintings of Ballet dancers… in this… his latest exhibition… it is… stripped down to nudes

George Shackleford co-curator… commented…

“If people think of his dancers… then they have simply not been paying attention. Ballet he staked out because it was more marketable… after all, artists had to live. The nude, however, was his constant touchstone”.

In his historical composition… “Petites filles spartiates provoquant des garçons“… (“Young Spartans Exercising”)… Degas… amply showed his expertise in corporeal detail.

The “Scènes de guerre au Moyen Âge“… (“Scene of War in the Middle Ages”)… was a pivotal point in his career where he gave the nudebold and powerful attentionturning his back on the Academic stylefreeing him from the constraints of tradition

Moving strongly… towards Realism.

Degasexcelled in his pastels in which… “The Tub“… is the most prestigious example of this medium… which he raised to the highest level.

One of our favourites… of his pastelswas the beautiful and luminous painting called… “Après le bain, femme s’essuyant la nuque“… (“After the Bath, Woman Drying her Neck”)…

Also… in his exploration of all techniques… painting, sculpture, charcoal, and pastel…

Degasbridged… and demonstratedhis liberation from Naturalist accuracyinto movement and a simplification of forms

A legacyDegas left for the generation of artists that followed him

His various techniqueshighlight the artists innovative stylerevealinganother aspect of Degas fascinating temperamentshowing him… to be a key figure in the emergence of the Modern art movement in Europe.

Degas et le Nu“… was a thrilling study of a mana painterwho treated women like real human beings… warts and all… like the “Young Woman Dressing Herself“… who exposes an amplederrière“… was called… “dumpy” and a “fat bourgeoisie“…

Emphasising his complete move toRealism

Edgar Degas

A… compassionate artist

A… brilliant one

A classical painterof modern times

We… so…

Admired his works

His… masterpieces…

His formidable

LEGACY.

a.

One thought on ““Degas… et le Nu”… at the Musée d’Orsay…

  • 26th March 2012 at 8:04 pm
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    I was very impressed with your post on Degas, very inspiring…

    Reply

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