Edgar Degas

"The great French Impressionist Edgar Degas (1834-1917) is best known for his images of Parisian life-for his superb renditions of cafe society, the ballet, and horse racing-and for his intimate interior scenes of bathing women. As this beautifully illustrated book reveals, however, he also maintained a lifelong interest in landscape subjects that until now has gone largely unrecognized. Despite taunting his friend Henri Rouart for "painting on the edge of a cliff," commenting "painting is not a sport," his love of this genre inspired him to create many paintings, pastels, and prints; it was, after all, the theme that the fifty-eight-year-old artist chose for his only solo show in France." "Edgar Degas: The Last Landscapes examines in detail this little-known aspect of Degas's work, focusing on his sensitive depictions of the scenery of northern France, and in particular the small coastal town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, which the artist had known since childhood. It analyzes Degas's energetic experimentation with both painting and print-making techniques, and, with the aid of his sketchbook drawings and accompanying notes, cogently reassesses the importance of landscape painting to his career." "In bringing together close to one hundred works by Degas, this book offers fresh insight into the work of a much-loved artist and an invaluable addition to our understanding of Impressionist art. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET.