“It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one’s memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory.”
-Edgar Degas
For me, Degas is the painter of ballet dancers, color of pink and white, and small moments that make life beautiful. ✨ Since I was a little girl, I always found dancers and their clothes fascinating. Nowadays I find little girls in pink ribbons and ballet dresses even more adorable. My mom dressed me as a ballerina with black dress in kindergarten and it is one of my most remembered childhood memories. I was like the black swan and had red shoes on. Even when I am writing this post I am wearing a colorful hair scarf. I cannot deny that I am still that little girl. Thus, it is no surprise for me to choose Degas as the second artist for my “Artists and their colors” writing serie. 🤓
Writing more about Degas and less about myself, he is one of the most known artists in the world. What makes him unique is his style that capturing more modern life moments.
How does he capture those moments?
He especially draws horse races, singers, and dancers. He is interested in movement of the body. He uses unusual vantage points and pastels. He has approximately 1,500 works on ballet dancers. However, after his eyesight weakened he focused more on his sculptures.
Putting all these into consideration, I just realized that what I meant with colors is not only colors. When making a research about an artist, I see style and influences as part of the color. So I see that color is a metaphor in this context and Degas has most fascinating ones. If he lived nowadays, I see him as a street photographer capturing people in cafes and in the street. He would still go to art schools but he might also continue to draw ballet dancers since they are his main subjects. How do you imagine him in today’s world? 😊
References
Edgar Degas (1834–1917): Painting and Drawing, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dgsp/hd_dgsp.htm
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