Edgar Degas

 Edgar Degas was born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar de Gas on July 19, 1834, in Paris, France. Degas came from a very musical family; his mother was an amateur opera singer and his father often scheduled for musical artists to perform in their home. Edgar Degas showed remarkable skills in drawing and painting at an early age, and was profusely encouraged by his art-enthusiast parents. After studying at the Louvre, learning and growing as an artist in Italy, Degas returned to Paris in 1859 intent on making a name for himself. He submitted his work, a series of large portraits of himself and his family, to the high-achieving Salon. Though they approached his work with a level of uncertainty, Degas had become a known part of an avant-garde group of artists by 1886. Many were quick to call him a impressionist, Degas however, met that title with distaste and preferred to refer to himself as a realist. His identity as an artist was something he struggled with most of his career but it never deterred him from creating or growing.
  What I like about Degas is his ability to show every side of a person. Many called his work misogynistic and overtly personal. However, while he did show an intimate side of the human figure, he also managed to capture every awkward or natural movement it as well. While his work was delicate and beautiful, he also depicted the things that people are most self-conscience of.What I find most interesting about Degas is that he considered himself the least spontaneous artist. He believed that if painting weren't difficult it wouldn't be so fun. Many artists are intent on going into length about how art has always been second nature for them. Degas was not uncomfortable with admitting that for him it wasn't always like that.

What was unique about Degas was his ability to capture a myriad of emotions within one beautiful and captivating painting.