Degas and the dance

"Known in his lifetime as "the painter of dancers," Edgar Degas has long been recognized as the foremost artist of the ballet. More than half of his vast body of work - created over five decades and in all media at his command - is devoted to the activities of dancers, both on and off the stage.". "Surprisingly, there has never been a comprehensive study of Degas' ballet work in its historical context. Now, in Degas and the Dance, Richard Kendall and Jill DeVoynar place the artist and his work against the backdrop of the Paris Opera, home of the national ballet company. Degas has always be...