9781422271759

MASTERS OF ART

PLATE 5 Semiramis Founding Babylon (1861) Oil on canvas, 59 3 ⁄ 8 x 101 1 ⁄

2 inches (151 x 258 cm)

Under the influence of Ingres and the Academic tradition of historical or mythological paintings, Degas made a number of paintings or sketches for such subjects in the early years of his development. The mythological Assyrian queen, Semiramis, the wife of Nunus, founder of Ninevah, was the most powerful figure in the early stories of the building of the Assyrian empire, including the whole construction of Babylon; the road system; the conquests of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya; and numerous other feats. She was also a goddess, the daughter of the Syrian goddess Derketo. She is Rossini’s Semiramide , and for some time it was believed that Degas drew inspiration from this source, since it was performed at the Paris Opéra in 1860 and Degas was an opera fan: that source of the painting is, however, now discounted. In the Academic terms of that age, the painting is an attractive and delicate example, constructed with great restraint. There is a study drawing of the horse that shows the extraordinary distinction of Degas’ draftsmanship, even at this early stage of his career. his paintings, and, like many artists, he had a distaste for commerce. He could not even bear to be separated from his works, and clients who bought his paintings quickly became aware of his habit of asking for them back in order to add some “finishing touches,” after which he sometimes failed to return them to their owners. Most clients, growing wise to the practice, usually succeeded in recapturing their property on a subsequent visit, but there were many times when sharp words ensued. In his early twenties, Degas had identified himself with this comment: “It seems to me that today, if the artist wishes to be serious ... he must once more sink himself

son’s interest in the intellectual life of the capital, saw him, in the true sense, as an amateur, that is, a “lover,” of the arts, and was hardly sympathetic when he learned of his son’s wish to dedicate himself to painting. Of course, there was no financial necessity for Degas to sell

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