The Rise of Realism: Degas, the master realist

I am not a realist artist fanatic who believes that everything created in the name of modernism, post-modernism, pop, conceptual etc. was the ruin on Western Civilization. I still find the sublime in Rothko; I love Diebenkorn; and I like much of the work of Jasper Johns, Rauschenberg and many other 20th century artists.

But I am very happy that realism is on the rise. A renewed passion for educating artists with the classical techniques of the atalier system is quickly spreading across the US. The realist movement is being lead by many fine artist/educators like Juliette Aristedes and Jacob Collins and supported by the nearly militant fervor of the Art Renewal Center (ARC) and Oil Painters of America, of which I am a proud member. They are looking back to pre-modernist days, before the impressionist, naturalist and back to heyday of the French Academy, Romanticism, and the Pre-Raphealites of early 1800s France and England.

I don’t go back to pre-1850s to find my heros. I have difficulty embracing the Academy’s love for history painting and romantic subjects of shepherdess, dancing flower girls and the like. I admire the skills but the subjects seem to far removed from today’s world. At least my world.

One of my heros of realism is Edgar Degas. One of most skilled artists and creative souls who ever lived. Like James Whistler, Degas’ reputation has lasted in the public mind perhaps for the wrong reasons. He is best remembered for paintings of sweet ballerinas and horses. He is also referred to as an impressionist which is not really accurate. This is in part from his own doing. What he was was an opportunist that shared some of the impressionist ideas and who gained exposure for his work by exhibiting with the impressionist. Degas did not experiment with the scientific interest in color theory that is the hallmark of the Impresionist style. He did, however, find his subject matter in contemporary life as did the impressionist, separating himself from the Academy sanctioned history and romantic subjects very early in his career. Confronting a Degas I am in awe of the amazing drawing skills he possessed. In my mind Degas ranks with Ingres, Durer, and Rembrandt as some of the finest draftsmen to ever bless the earth.

Beyond Degas’ consummate skills at drawing what really draws me to him was his eagerness to take the fundamentals that were learned through academic training and bend, shape and experiment with those skills to express precisely what he wanted. His control over his craft was extraordinary in every sense. He believed, and was very outspoken, that the art of painting was a battle filled with trickery. That in the expression of an  idea it was an artist’s duty to use any means possible. Even still he never abandoned the fundamentals and created some of history’s most exquisite paintings. This study of hands for the painting “The Bellelli Family” from the Museé d’Orsay is a beautiful example of his mastery. To study this sketch is to get a peek at the master’s genius.

Related posts:

1. NOVOREALISM: The Realist Revolution
2. International Guild of Realism
3. Creating to Sell: Don't Compromise
4. Garden Shop in Les Tuileries – Part 3 of 3
5. Richard Schmid – In Praise of a Great Painter and Teacher
6. Still Life Painting: Chardin, Vermeer and Friends