9781422271759

EDGAR DEGAS

Degas was always a proud, reserved individual, something of a misogynist, conscious of his social status, and he had a sharp, witty tongue and a cool temperament. His whole demeanor and background seemed to preclude an artistic career, and his father, while encouraging his

family retained its links with the town, and in late 1872, Degas went there for an extended visit, which resulted in one of his most important early works, a painting somewhat out of context with his usual subject matter, The Cotton Exchange at New Orleans (plate 18).

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