An introduction to the life and work of nineteenth-century French artist Edgar Degas, discussing his cultural and historical importance, and including a chronology and over one hundred color illustrations with explanatory captions.

Degas was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. His career was long and his style, unlike that of most famous artists who worked into their old age, never ceased developing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism and is especially identified with the subject of dance (over half of his works depict dancers such as The Dance Class or the sculpture Little Ballet Dancer). These display his mastery in the depiction of movement, as do his less common themes of horse racing and female nudes (After the Bath). His portraits are considered to be among the finest in the history of art. His work was strongly influenced by Ingres and Delacroix combining the expressive qualities of Ingres with the colour of Delacroix.