Edgar Degas

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/edgar-degas

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Edgar Degas born?July 19, 1834
2. When did Edgar Degas die?September 27, 1917 (age 83)
3. Where was Edgar Degas born?Paris, France
4. What kind of art did Edgar Degas start with?Degas began his career as a history painter, studying ancient stories and mythological scenes to learn strong drawing and composition.
5. Why did Degas love painting dancers?He was fascinated by movement, spending hours watching rehearsals to capture the dancers’ poses, practice, and rest in his art.

History Painter: An artist specializing in depicting historical, mythological, or biblical narratives, often considered the highest genre in academic art.
Realism: An artistic movement and style that sought to portray subjects truthfully and objectively, without artificiality or exotic embellishment.
Impressionism: A 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, and an emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities.
Draftsman: An artist with exceptional skill in drawing, often a foundational skill for other artistic disciplines.