In What Ways Does Degas Work Show the Influence of Photography and of Japanese Print

Degas was fascinated by both photography and Japanese art, and often incorporated elements of both into his work. In this post, we’ll explore some of the ways in which Degas’ work was influenced by these two things.

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Degas and photography

Degas was one of the first artists to recognize the potential of photography and to make use of it in his work. He experimented with various photographic techniques and was particularly interested in the way that photographs could be used to capture movement. Degas was also influenced by Japanese prints, which were popular in Europe at the time. He incorporated elements of Japanese composition and perspective into his own work, creating paintings that were unlike anything that had been seen before.

Degas and Japanese prints

Degas’s work was tremendously influential, and in what ways does Degas work show the influence of photography and of Japanese printmaking?

Degas was one of the first artists to use photography as an aid to his painting, and he frequently experimented with new techniques. He was also greatly interested in the prints of Japanese artists, which were becoming increasingly popular in Europe at this time. These two influences can be seen in many of Degas’s paintings, such as “The Absinthe Drinker” and “L’Orpheline”.

Degas’s use of photography can be seen in the way he often crop his subjects, as well as in his use of light and shadow. The cropping gives his paintings a sense of immediacy, as if we are seeing a snapshot of a scene. This is similar to the way Japanese prints were often composed, with figures placed off-center and cropped by the edges of the frame.

The light and shadow effects in Degas’s paintings are also indebted to photography. He often used contrast to create a sense of drama, or to highlight a particular element in the composition. This use of light and dark was also a common feature of Japanese prints, which Degas would have been familiar with through his study of these works.

In sum, Degas’ paintings show the influence of both photography and Japanese prints. This can be seen in the way he composes his subjects, as well as in his use of light and shadow effects.

The influence of photography on Degas

Despite a level of initial resistance, Edgar Degas was one of the first painters to fully engage with photography, both as an artistic tool and as an influence on his paintings. Degas’s interests in photography can be seen in both the style and subjects of his work.

Degas began dabbling in photography in the early 1870s, experimenting with the new technology to aid his painting. He used photographs as reference material, often taking pictures of his models in various poses before painting them. Degas also printed photographs in the darkroom and used them as studies for his pastels and paintings. In some cases, he would even combine elements from different photographs to create a composite image.

While initially Degas was interested in photography solely as a means to an end, he eventually came to see it as an art form in its own right. He began collecting photographs and even showed some of his own work in exhibitions. The impact of Japanese woodblock prints can also be seen in Degas’s work from this period, as he incorporated elements of composition and color from these prints into his paintings.

Degas’s engagement with photography continued throughout his career, and his work was increasingly influenced by this medium. The immediacy and spontaneity of photographs can be seen in the way he captures moments of everyday life in his paintings. In particular, Degas’s series of snapshots depicting dancers backstage at the Paris Opera show a marked debt to this new art form.

The influence of Japanese prints on Degas

Degas was fascinated by the western world’s discovery of Japanese culture, and he collected hundreds of ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) woodblock prints. He was particularly taken with the flat perspective, unusual cropping and conciseness of these works, all of which were radical innovations at the time. In his own work, Degas absorbed these lessons and applied them to his compositions in both painting and sculpture.

How Degas’ work shows the influence of photography

Degas was one of the first artists to experiment with photography, and his work shows the influence of this new medium. In What Ways Does Degas Work Show the Influence of Photography and of Japanese Print, he uses photographs as a reference for his paintings, often cropping and re-arranging the figures in the frame to create a more visually pleasing composition. He also frequently incorporates photographic elements into his work, such as blurring or motion effects.

Degas was also influenced by Japanese art, particularly in his later years. He collected many Japanese prints and incorporated elements of their style into his own work. This can be seen in the flattened perspective and use of bold colors in his paintings from this period.

How Degas’ work shows the influence of Japanese prints

Degas is one of the most renowned painters of the late 1800s, and his work shows the influence of both photography and Japanese prints. Degas frequently used photography as a reference tool, particularly for his paintings of dancers. He was also influenced by Japanese prints, which he began collecting in the 1870s. The flat, uninterrupted surfaces and unusual vantage points of Japanese prints can be seen in many of Degas’ paintings, such as “The Absinthe Drinker” and “L’Etoile.”

The ways in which photography influenced Degas

Degas’ work was significantly influenced by photography, as he was one of the first painters to embrace the new medium. He often used photographic techniques in his paintings, such as cropping and breaking up surfaces into small patches of color. He also borrowed compositions and ideas from photographs. For example, his painting “The Bellelli Family” was based on a group photograph he had seen.

Degas was also influenced by Japanese prints, which were popular in Europe at the time. He was attracted to their flatness and bold use of color, and he incorporated these elements into his own work.

The ways in which Japanese prints influenced Degas

One of the most striking aspects of Degas’s work is the influence of Japanese prints. It has been suggested that Degas was exposed to these prints through the work of his friend, Henri Rivière, who collected them. It is also possible that Degas saw Japanese prints at the Exposition Universelle, which was held in Paris in 1867. Whatever the case, it is clear that Japanese prints had a profound impact on Degas’s work.

Degas was particularly interested in the way in which Japanese artists used flat, abstract forms to create images with a strong sense of space and depth. He also admired the way in which Japanese artists seemed to be able to capture a sense of motion and dynamism in their work. These ideas can be seen in many of Degas’s paintings and drawings, such as “The Absinthe Drinker” and “Dancers in the Wings.”

It is worth noting that while Degas was clearly influenced by Japanese art, he was also influenced by photography. In fact, many of his works show a strong resemblance to photographs. This is not surprising, asDe gas was an early adopter of photography and frequently used photographs as references for his paintings.

The impact of photography on Degas’ work

It is well-known that Degas was an early adopter of photography, and he frequently used photographs as references for his paintings and sketches. However, the influence of photography on Degas’ work went beyond just using photographs as reference material. In fact, Degas’ style was deeply impacted by the aesthetics of early photography, particularly in his use of cropping, unexpected viewpoints, and unusual vantage points.

Similarly, Degas was also heavily influenced by Japanese printmaking, which was another relatively new technology at the time. The flatness and lack of perspective in Japanese prints can be seen in many of Degas’ works, particularly his later works where he increasingly adopted a more abstract style.

The impact of Japanese prints on Degas’ work

It is generally agreed that Degas was greatly influenced by Japanese prints, and he collected many of them. His initial exposure to Japanese art probably came through the great international exhibition of Japanese art held in Paris in 1867, which included a large number of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. These bold and unconventional designs must have made a strong impression on Degas, as can be seen in such later works as The Café-Concert (1875-76, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) and Dancers in the Wings (c. 1884, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London). In both cases, Degas has used flat areas of color and simplified forms derived from Japanese prints to create a sense of artificiality and distance.