Degas' Angle

After Degas

At the start of this month I set a goal of studying Degas and his composition in particular. I got this book to help me accomplish this goal. The book covers the range of Degas' career. In the beginning you see the influence of Ingres on Degas - very tight renderings made with a soft touch. In the middle you see the tight renderings on the faces (the book has several portraits), but the gowns are more loosely rendered. Towards the end, later in Degas' career, the drawings are loosely, confidently drawn with a heavy hand.

This is one of my favorites of his...it has that slanted line running through it that you find in so many Degas drawings and pastels. It really enlivens the composition...next, to think about why his jutting angles and severe perspectives work so well...methinks it has to do with negative spaces and a bit of a notan concept.