The Frick Pittsburgh Presents Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist--Works on Paper by the Artist and His Circle

PITTSBURGH, June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist—Works on Paper by the Artist and His Circle opens at the Frick Art & Historical Center in Pittsburgh on June 28, 2014. Edgar Degas (1834–1917), one of the most familiar of the Impressionist artists, is known for his iconic paintings of ballet dancers, horse racing, and bathers. This exhibition of more than 100 works on paper is built around a core group of 55 works by Degas, known as one of the strongest draftsmen of the Impressionist circle. From early drawings to late experiments in photography, the exhibition will illuminate the artist's personal life, his creative restlessness and experimentation, and his wider artistic circle. Complemented by more than 50 works by his contemporaries, Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist creates an intimate portrait of the artist by investigating his most famous subjects, the people that were close to him, and the types of artworks he collected. The exhibition will remain on view through October 5, 2014. Admission is free.

This exhibition provides a rare glimpse into Degas' personal interests, work process and experimentation through drawings, etchings, monoprints, and photographs. The works are installed in a thematic chronology—beginning with early drawings made after Old Masters and antiquities at the Louvre, and featuring some early family portraits. Degas' time in Italy is represented by several early etchings and the beautiful drawing, Mlle. Dembowska (ca. 1858-1859). A section of the exhibition explores his experimentation with printmaking, including etchings, aquatints, and drypoints. One chromolithograph and a number of  drawings illustrate his interest in horses and racing subjects. Later work is represented through his photography and experiments with monoprints. Together, the works by Degas and his circle provide a view of the cultural life of France in the second half of the nineteenth century, expanding our vision of Degas and giving a sense of the varied personalities and common interests of the time.

Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist—Works on Paper by the Artist and His Circle was organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA, in association with Denenberg Fine Arts, West Hollywood, CA.

The Pittsburgh presentation is made possible through the generous support of First National Bank.

www.TheFrickPittsburgh.org 

SOURCE Frick Art & Historical Center