Charcoal lithograph prints by Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Lot of 2. Signed by artist. Each measures approx. 22 1/2" x 16" OA; 15 1/2" x 9 " SS. Degas was the only 19th century French painter to have direct family ties with America. He was exposed to art early by his father, who often took him to museums, etc. He entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1855; from 1856 through 1857 he made a study of Quattrocento painting while in Rome, Naples and Florence. His early work comprised history paintings and primarily portraits, influenced by Ingres. The special talent of Degas lay in his ability to find unfamiliar beauty in the passing scene. He isolated, with a sharp eye, the significant gestures and movements of people at work, and presented them with dramatic force. What we now regard as Degas' unique sense of composition - the subtle placement of his figures within the frame of his canvas stems from several sources: the drawings of Giovanni Bellini which he had seen and studied in Italy, the Japanese woodcuts which he enjoyed and collected, and the new art of photography. Artwork has not been removed from frames for inspection.

good to very good used condition - see photos