Edgar Hilaire Germain Degas

1834–1917, Paris

Edgar Degas is indisputably one of the greatest printmakers of all time. Few of his contemporaries can have been driven by such a desire for perfection and such an unrelenting self-imposed severity as this brilliant artist and melancholy loner. Degas’ almost self-tormenting approach and his uncontrollable urge to constantly check the validity of his artistic solutions are particularly evident in his printed work. The large number of different impressions testifies to a highly concentrated method of working characterized by self-doubt, constant corrections and immense creativity.