Abstract In this article, the writer looks at the concept of hyper-sensuality as it is portrayed in the artistic work of EdgarDegas. The writer refers to Degas' famous painting 'Le Etoile' and describes a variety of possible responses from the audience. As this essay argues, the erotics of hyper-sensuality are central to an appreciation of Degas' achievement in this work.
From the Paper "The creation of hyper-sensuality in artistic media can take many forms depending upon the medium and the interests of the artist. In the case of Edgar Degas' celebrated painting L'Etoile or "Star" (1876-1877) the artist stimulates an array of multiple sensual responses ranging from the primary visual nature of the image, to its auditory musical resonances, to the intense eroticism of the female form for its presumably male audience."
Abstract This paper examines the art of EdgarDegas, a French Impressionist painter noted most for his ability to portray motion and sponteity in his work. It discusses how one of his favorite subjects to paint was dance and how his obsession with the female form drove him to become more skilled at painting dancing woman than anyone before or since. It looks at how none of his paintings were ever comissioned and he preferred to paint women going through the moments of daily life, unaware of the candid insights of voyeuristic beauty to be gained from their skilled observation.
From the Paper "Degas has captured young ballerinas of the Paris opera house at their most natural, when they are practicing unselfconsciously behind the scenes, not performing for the public. The ballet dancers resemble a sequence in a movie, all of the same fascinating for their totally innovating cuts, for the decentralized pagination, for the unusual angularity: in this sense, it is evident the influence from the orientalism, highly fashionable at his time, and from Japanese prints, of which Degas was a fond collector. "
This paper analyzes "The Peale Family" painted by Charles Wilson Peale (1773 &1809. The New York Historical Society) and "The Bellini Family" painted by EdgarDegas (1859. Musee d'Orsay).
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract This paper uses the strategies that are part of critiquing in the book "Humanities through the Arts" by F. David Martin and Lee Jacobus. Paris). The author praises "The Peale Family" painted by Charles Wilson Peale, but "The Bellini Family" painted by EdgarDegas, although beautiful in its own way, is subjected to conflicting criticism. The paper explains that, by observing the line, color, and artistic agenda of each of these painters, we can critique them along the guidelines offered by Martin in his book.
Abstract This paper compares a painting by Pre-Raphaelite British artist Burne-Jones with an important work by Realist, EdgarDegas. Both paintings appeared in 1860-1970 decade and have something important to say about that era and the two painters.
This paper discusses EdgarDegas, an impressionist artist whose artwork revealed a concern for the psychology of movement, expression, harmony of line and continuity of curves that distinguished him from all the other impressionist painters.
Abstract This paper explains that, although Deges was connected with the impressionists, he never was fascinated like others were by the influence of natural light and thus did most of his work inside his studio only. The paper continues that his paintings depicted ballet, horse racing, the theater and circuses, which gave the idea that his work stemmed from the humanistic experience. The author points out that Degas? favorite subjects were scenes from the world of entertainment, the daily life of women, ballet dancers, horse races and young ballerinas.
From the Paper "Degas was captivated and influenced by a study of Japanese prints of which style appeared to be in his later work. He drew on the Japanese idea of asymmetrical design as an object to set the subject to the side of a painting. For example, one of his paintings made in 1865, depicted a Woman with Chrysanthemums (exhibited at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City) where the female subject is pushed into one side by a bouquet of flowers."
Abstract This paper analyzes the painting "Dancers in Pink," painted by EdgarDegas in 1878. The paper describes the compositional structure of the painting and how it appeals aesthetically to the viewer. The paper then goes on to discuss the synthesis between form and color in the entire work and how they enhance the overall painting. The paper concludes by describing the use of paint and the technique of paint application, as well as Degas' choice of hues and tones.
From the Paper "This experimentation with painting technique can be seen in the different method of paint application work. Some areas in the dresses of the two main figures are thinly painted, possibly diluted with turpentine, while others seem to be more impasto-like in their quality. It is the use of washes over thick paint that, especially in the skin tones, provides the feeling of tactile sensuality. It seems as if the pink and orange has been painted over an underlayer of flesh tones, which can just be seen beneath the rich folds of the dresses. The brush strokes also vary throughout the painting, with smoother and crisper brushwork in the dresses and figures and rougher, more 'sketchy' brushwork in the background and in the smaller figures."
This paper discusses the interaction between two themes in the paintings and drawings of EdgarDegas. The first is the study of form and shape, primarily of women. The second is his attitude towards the socioeconomic class of his subjects.
Abstract The writer argues that, because of Degas' upbringing in a family attempting to appear as nobility, he became interested in "class." Commentary on class structure was a deeply engrained part of the art world at the time that Degas was in the forefront of the field.
From the Paper "The later work of Degas began to concentrate on women in the bath, either actually washing, or getting in and out of various tubs. This was a focus on the female body in its most pure form. The fascination he had always shown with women was now given free reign, without clothing or background to complicate his work. It is interesting, though, to note that his interest in class, as well as gender, was still represented. The bathing woman has been separated from most of the social and cultural cues that give the viewer information as to her background. This is another way that Degas demonstrated that his interest in the female form cut across class boundaries."
Abstract This paper will discuss alienation in three works of art. The works analyzed are: EdgarDegas, "The Glass of Absinthe," of 1876, Edward Hopper, "The Nighthawks," of 1942 and George Segal, "Walk, Don't Walk," of 1976. In revealing the essence of loneliness in these paintings, we can see how they tell us of the alienation that these works of art behold. The way they were painted and the objective views of alienation will be discussed in relation to their creation.
This paper presents thumbnail sketches of six Impressionist artists: Claude Monet, Eduardo Manet, Pierre-Augusta Renoir, EdgarDegas, Mary Cassatt and Camille Pissarro.
Abstract This paper explains that Claude Monet was the leader of Impressionism; his "Impression: Sunrise" painted in 1872 gave the term Impressionist to this group of painters who followed the style of Eduardo Manet. The author points out that Mary Cassatt, the only American and woman of the movement, painted scenes of people engaged in ordinary daily activities. The paper relates that the last true Impressionist Camille Pissarro inspired Post-Impressionist painters such as Matisse and Cezanne.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Impressionist Period
Claude Monet: The Movement's Pioneer
Eduardo Manet: The Movement's Inspiration
Pierre-Augusta Renoir: Using the Movement to Move to His Own Style
EdgarDegas: Representing Movement and the Working Class
Mary Cassatt: The American and the Woman of the Movement
Conclusion: Camille Pissarro: The Last Official Impressionist
From the Paper "Photography was invented in the 19th century. The Impressionist artists wished to bring a new element to art. They wished to show the artist's inner life. They believed that simply showing what existed 'in life' was not enough to justify the further existence of art. The Impressionist movement began in France, the heart of the art world of a late 19th and early 20th century Europe. "Impressionist painting comprises the work produced between about 1867 and 1886 by a group of artists who shared a set of related approaches and techniques. Characteristics of Impressionism were an attempt to accurately and objectively record visual reality in terms of transient effects of light and color." "
Abstract This paper examines some of the contributions of Edgar Allan Poe's only novel, "Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket". It examines in particular the ways in which Poe approaches the foreign and the different, in this work as well as adjacent works. It analyzes the introduction of the strong and sometimes hidden elements of horror in Poe's works.
From the Paper "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) is the only novel written by Edgar Allan Poe, and yet despite this singularity it is in fundamental ways connected to the rest of his body of work as well as to other important works of 19th century American fiction. This paper examines some of the contributions of this novel, examining in particular the ways in which Poe approaches the foreign and the different ? a concept that was in many ways (some explicit, some deeply encoded) a proxy for race in both the work in question and that of other works adjacent in time and theme to Poe's novel, especially that of Herman Melville's Moby Dick (1851)."
Abstract Metaphors not only can be used as literal interpretation of events, but also have metaphorical meanings. A good example would be the black cat in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" and how the narrator in the story implied throughout the story that the cat is of demonic creature. The black cat in the short story not only has a literal meaning of a normal household cat but also from a metaphorical-side of meaning, as the narrator's personal demon, which haunts him throughout the story and brings him to the point of near insanity.
From the Paper "The first mention of the black cat in the short story is when the narrator's wife noticed his partiality for domestic pets and "lost no opportunity of procuring those of the most agreeable kind" (894), which includes a black cat. In the beginning, the narrator describes the cat as a "large and beautiful animal, entirely black, and sagacious to a degree" (894). When he describes the cat in this way, the narrator gave us his view of the cat as an everyday, normal household cat that people who have had an encounter with cats can feel a real connection to. Even though some people might have the superstitious belief that an entirely black cat might be a minion of the underworld or a witch in disguise which his wife did when she "made frequent allusions to the ancient popular notion" (894), the narrator tries his best to also show that this is a normal cat like any other. The narrator also gives the pet the name of Pluto, which is the name for the god of the underworld in Roman mythology. By doing this, he further connects the black cat of his to something from the underworld. He also calls what he sees when he went back to check out the ruins of his house that burned down as an apparition (895) and a "phantasm of the cat" (896). An apparition is a ghost or spirit and by following what the narrator describes, his view of the black cat goes from a normal household pet to something that haunts him for months. The loss of the cat not only brought him remorse at what he did to the cat when he hung it on a rope but also regret at the loss of a fine pet."
Abstract This paper reviews the work of Edgar Allan Poe, one of America's legendary elite, in particular it examines how his literature is very much diverse and his psychology unique. It examines how his work often centers upon interior crises where the human mind is under assault and its primary nemesis is itself. Through a review of the stories "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The IMP of the Perverse" and the "The Cask of Amontillado", it discusses how, with sufficient evidence of human destruction, Poe challenges the human mind with an efficient philosophy and meaningful psychology.
From the Paper "In "The Tell-Tale Heart" we find a perfect example of Poe's psychological complexity in action. One author writes, "This trademark horror tale shows Poe at the height of his imaginative and artistic powers, with its boldly original story line, exquisitely rendered form, and psychological complexity" (Nesbitt 239). While reading the story we find a nameless narrator reminiscing on how he actually formulated the idea of killing an elderly man. In addition, we know that there is no real objective of the killer other than the old man's annoying eye, which to the narrator is symbolic of a predator."
Abstract This paper looks at Edgar Allan Poe, his life and his work, and how they were affected by alcoholism. It looks at how the theme of alcoholism crept into his stories by having alcoholics as characters, or characters descending into madness from drinking. It shows that despite his drinking problems, Poe produced masterpieces that have world wide acclaim and are still high on the reading list of mystery lovers today.
This paper is a comparison and contrast of Edgar Allan Poe's two styles of writing: the gothic genre of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" and the detective genre of "The Purloined Letter."
Abstract This paper is a comparison and contrast of Edgar Allan Poe's two styles of writing: the gothic genre of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" and the detective genre of "The Purloined Letter". The paper includes topics such as diction and the ease or difficulty in the ability to read and comprehend Poe's stories.
From the Paper "Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most well known names in literature. He was a short story writer, a poet, a literary critic, a journalist, an editor, an essayist and novelist. Edgar Allen Poe virtually created the detective story genre and perfected the psychological thriller. Poe is celebrated as one of America's greatest writers of short stories but his first published works were poems. Arguably, the most prominent feature of Edgar Allen Poe's writing is his obsession with death."
Abstract The author of this paper examines how Edgard Allan Poe's own life's obstacles influenced and inspired the writing of "The Masque of the Red Death." One specific source of inspiration involves Poe's foster father, John Allan, ignoring Poe's pleas for help in assisting his wife, who was ill with tuberculosis. In the story, the audacity of Prince Prospero holding a ball while the outside world dies can be taken as a symbol that reflects John Allan ignoring Poe's many pleas for assistance. There is no compassion in the prince just as John Allan felt no compassion for Poe. "The Masque of the Red Death" is Edgar Allan Poe's literary way of exposing the truly wicked ways of his enemies and visiting upon them the most horrible punishment he can imagine to serve them justice for their crimes.
From the Paper "Edgar had never forgiven John Allan and despised everything that he had and Edgar did not. This hatred extended from solely John Allan to any wealthy person who was not willing to help or at least acknowledge his own genius. Nathanial Hawthorne was one such person who was so fascinated with Edgar's tales that he took the time to write him a rather cordial letter expressing his admiration for his earnest criticism and writing ability. On the other hand Edgar felt very slighted and unappreciated compared to many of his literary peers. "He could not stand to see other writers, such as Henry Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson and James Russell Lowell, earn more praise and money than he did" (Streissguth 79). Aristocracy seemed to hold Edgar down and when examining "The Masque of the Red Death" we see the revenge that he would wish extracted upon them. Prince Prospero is the embodiment of John Allan and all other men who possessed wealth, but refused to come to his aid. It is possible that Edgar desired the very pestilence that had haunted him for so many years to go forth and destroy those who never knew want or suffered from financial trouble. What better way to see his enemies destroyed than by the disease he was most familiar with?"
