 | Although usually associated with the French Impressionists, Degas' work was more tightly controlled, more painstakingly composed, and more visually immediate than that of other artists of his time. Paintings from his early years aim for an academic, historical style, and are nowhere near as interesting as those that followed his decision not to be a history painter. His portraits are remarkably complex and psychological, powerfully capturing the dynamics between the people pictured. A pioneer in the way motion would be transfigured in painting, Degas' paintings and bronzes of ballerinas and horses act as frozen moments of time, delicate, yet weighty. |