On July 19, 1834, a Parisian known as one of the founders of the Impressionist movement, Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, was born. Throughout his life, the French artist created hundreds of works of art that would pave the way for artists to come. Known as “the painter of dancers,” Edgar Degas would capture the world of 19th-century ballet. The eldest of a family of five, Degas came from an important family. When he was born, his father, Auguste Degas, worked as a banker in Paris. His mother, Célestine Degas, was born in Louisiana, but spent most of her life in Europe. Degas was educated at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. Although Degas and his father often attended museums together, encouraging Degas in his drawings, his father expected him to go to law school. Attending the University of Paris. Returning to drawing in 1855, Degas was admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts. He devoted himself to the technique of classical art by copying paintings in the Louvre by some of the greatest. He trained in the studio of Louis Lamothe, who taught in the traditional academic style, emphasizing lines. Degas left school and traveled to Italy for three years where he studied the works of Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and da Vinci. Degas often suffered from doubts in his work, which often led to unfinished projects. Jeanniot advised him to work from memory rather than from nature. Degas returned to Paris in 1859 with the intention of mastering his talent as a painter. He painted large portraits of members of his family as well as historical scenes. Some of his works included “The Daughter of Jephthah,” “Semiramis Building Babylon,” and “War Scene in the Middle Ages.” By the late 1860s, Degas had discovered himself...... middle of paper...... and he was practicing. He often captured them from different angles, exploring the way their bodies flowed throughout their performance. In his later years, Degas became reclusive and was known for being eccentric and anti-sematic, which led him to cut himself off from people. Although he painted much less during this period, Degas worked tirelessly on his art collection. He never married and never had children. Degas had truly devoted his life to his work. It was on September 27, 1917 that Edgar Degas died in Paris at the age of 83. Although Degas' work was criticized and ridiculed in his time, today we can appreciate and admire the work of a great artist. It therefore leaves no doubt that Edgar Degas paved the way for many artists to find their own voice and push the boundaries of creating a work of art. “Art is not what we see, but what we make others see” Edgar Degas