The French artist Edgar Degas was born in 1834 in Paris as Hilaire-Germain-Edgar de Gas. He came from a very musical family — his mother was an amateur opera singer.

As a child he displayed a remarkable skill for drawing and painting. At the age of 18, he was allowed to ‘copy’ at the Louvre and he produced many impressive copies of Raphael and studied the works of many contemporary artists as Ingres and Delacroix.

The artist also attended the École des Beaux-Arts but left after a year and went to Italy where he painted copies of the great Italian renaissance painters Michelangelo and da Vinci. He later formed the Société Anonyme des Artistes (Society of Independent Artists) with Monet, Sisley and several other painters. Together, they were known as The Impressionists.

‘Café Singer’ (1879), oil on canvas, 21 1/16 inches x 16 7/16 inches, Degas paints a close-up view of a lively cafe singer. The artist is known for his depictions of modern Parisian women, often dancers, cafe singers and laundresses. It is exhibited at The Art Institute of Chicago, US.— M.Z.A

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 21st, 2016