The advent of photography in the mid-19th century had a profound influence on the art world. One artist, in particular, Edgar Degas, embraced this new medium and used it to transform his work, leaving an indelible mark in the annals of art history.
- Key Takeaways
- Degas and his unique art style
- Impact of photography on Degas’ art
- Degas’ approach to composition
- The influence of photography on the art world
Table of Contents
- Degas and his unique art style,
- Impact of photography on Degas’ art,
- Degas’ approach to composition,
- The influence of photography on the art world
- Frequently Asked Questions
Degas and His Unique Art Style
Edgar Degas was a French artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Known for his innovative composition and his dedication to capturing everyday life, Degas was fascinated by the human form, particularly dancers. He often visited the Paris Opera, where he sketched the dancers in various poses and movements. His work, such as the Ballet Rehearsal series, showcases this fascination with movement and the human body. Check out Canvas Prints Australia for a collection of iconic works by Degas.
Impact of Photography on Degas’ Art
With the emergence of photography, Degas found a tool that could capture the fleeting moments he sought to depict in his work. He began to use photography as a reference, capturing images that he would later translate into his paintings and drawings.
Photography’s influence on Degas’ work was profound. He began to experiment with unconventional angles and asymmetrical compositions, elements that were common in candid photography but not in traditional painting. The photographic cropping seen in Degas’ work, such as The Ballet Class, is a clear example of this.
Degas’ Approach to Composition
Degas’ approach to composition was greatly influenced by photography. He often used a “snapshot” style, mimicking the off-centre, cropped compositions seen in candid photographs. This approach gave his work a sense of spontaneity and realism, capturing life as it happened rather than in an idealised or staged manner.
Degas also used photography to study light and shadow, often creating dramatic contrasts in his work. His pastel drawings, such as Woman Ironing, showcase his ability to use light and shadow to create depth and form. Degas’ innovative use of light and shadow can also be seen in the modern canvas prints available on Canvas Prints Australia.
The Influence of Photography on the Art World
The influence of photography extended beyond Degas and impacted the broader art world. Many artists began to experiment with the medium, using it to challenge traditional art conventions and to explore new artistic possibilities. It led to the rise of new art movements like Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, which sought to capture the transient and fleeting nature of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How did Degas use photography in his work?
Degas used photography as a reference tool, capturing images that he would later translate into his paintings and drawings. He also used it to experiment with composition, often mimicking the off-centre, cropped compositions seen in candid photographs.
- How did photography influence the art world?
Photography had a profound impact on the art world. It challenged traditional art conventions and opened up new avenues for artistic exploration. It led to the rise of new art movements like Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, which sought to capture the transient and fleeting nature of life.
The influence of photography on Degas’ art is a testament to the artist’s innovative spirit and his ability to embrace new technologies. His work continues to inspire artists today, with modern canvas prints capturing the timeless beauty of his work. Whether it’s the dynamic movement of his ballet dancers or the dramatic contrasts of his pastel drawings, Degas’ work is a testament to the transformative power of photography in art. You can explore more about Degas and his work on Canvas Prints Australia.
Related collection: Bring this look home — explore our nature wall art.
Shop the Look
The artworks featured in this article — available as canvas, framed, or paper prints.
How customers use Degas’ photography-influenced prints at home
Degas’ tilted vantage points and cropped compositions translate beautifully into modern interiors because they feel cinematic before cinema existed. The off-centre dancers, the figures cut by doorframes, the orchestra pit viewed from a balcony — these compositions sit naturally on walls where a photograph might otherwise hang. We see customers reach for them in living rooms with a 1920s sensibility, in ballet studios, in dance schools, and in the spare bedrooms of grandparents who took their granddaughters to The Australian Ballet for the first time.
The most popular size for The Dance Class or Ballet Rehearsal in canvas is 100 x 75 cm, sized to read as a window into the rehearsal hall rather than as a small picture. At that scale, the unusual angles and the photographic crop become the point — your eye slides into the space the way Degas wanted. A framed paper print at 60 x 45 cm with a 40 mm white mat works well for hallways and stairwells where viewing distance is shorter and the eye stops briefly.
Some of our most engaged Degas buyers are professional dancers, retired ballerinas and ballet teachers — they catch the technical accuracy of the leg positions and the worn-in fatigue of the bodies. Their preferred sizes tend to be smaller: a 50 x 40 cm canvas in a studio change room, or a framed paper print of L’Étoile beside a desk. The work speaks to people who know rehearsal as much as performance.
Common questions we get about Degas prints
Does the photographic cropping look strange on a wall? It looks deliberate, not strange. Hang it confidently — at 145 cm to centre, the same as any other piece — and the eye accepts the radical framing immediately. If the image cuts a figure at the knee or the elbow, that’s the original. We don’t recompose to “fit” a wall.
Do you stock the pastel-on-paper works as well as the oils? Yes. Degas’ pastels are some of the most popular pieces we ship — the colour intensity of pastel translates well to giclée on cotton-rag paper, and the matte surface of a framed paper print sits closer to the original than a glossy reproduction ever would. Customers tracking down After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself or any of the racetrack pastels usually finish with framed paper print at 60 x 80 cm.
Can you match a specific gallery’s hanging style? We can replicate the off-white linen mat and dark walnut frame that the Musée d’Orsay uses for the Degas room, or the cleaner natural-oak treatment seen at the NGV in Melbourne. Tell us which look you’re after and we’ll mock up both before you commit. Drop into Noosa QLD or Booragoon WA if you can — seeing the mat colour against the image in person changes minds about half the time.
What we’d pair a Degas print with
Degas sits well next to early Bonnard, late Manet, or Whistler’s nocturnes — artists thinking about the same flattened, photographic space. He fights with high-contrast graphic work and with anything ornate. A single sculptural floor lamp, a worn leather armchair, raw linen curtains — these are the room textures that complement his soft-focused interiors without competing.
For a child’s room or a dance-school studio, pair The Dance Class with practical objects rather than other artwork — a wall-mounted ballet barre, a long mirror, framed performance programmes from local productions. The Degas becomes the anchor, and the rest of the room reads as a working space rather than a decorated one. We’ve delivered to two dance studios in suburban Brisbane this year that took exactly that approach.
Avoid pairing two Degas pieces on the same wall — the cropped compositions start to feel like a sequence rather than two independent moments. Better to put one in the lounge and one in the corridor. The same instinct guided his exhibition hangs in 1880s Paris; he understood that radical framing reads loudest when the next image gives the eye a different problem to solve.
Care and longevity for Degas pastels and oils on canvas
The pastel works in particular benefit from glazing. If you choose a framed paper print of After the Bath or Dancer with a Bouquet of Flowers, our UV-filtering acrylic glazing slows pigment shift and protects against the slight chalkiness that humid coastal homes can develop. Canvas of the oil paintings doesn’t need glazing — a dry microfibre dust every few months is enough, and the surface stays stable in Queensland, WA and TAS climates alike.
Shipping is tracked nationally with corner-protected packing. Most metro deliveries arrive within 3 to 5 business days from despatch; regional addresses 5 to 8. If anything arrives damaged, send us a photo within a week and we remake at no charge from the Noosa or Booragoon workshop.
