Drawing of ballerina; pencil on paper; framed; lower right signed and attr. Edgar Degas (1834-1917), French realist painter, sculptor and printmaker; 11.25 inches x 7.75 inches. Always remembered as an Impressionist, Edgar Degas was a member of the seminal group of Paris artists who began to exhibit together in the 1870s. He shared many of their novel techniques and was intrigued by the challenge of capturing effects of light and attracted to scenes of urban leisure. Nonetheless Degas's academic training, and his own personal predilection toward Realism, set him apart from his peers, and he rejected the label 'Impressionist' preferring to describe himself as a realist. He was intrigued by the human figure, and in his many images of women - dancers, singers, and laundresses - he strove to capture the body in unusual positions. He was a superb draftsman, and particularly masterly in depicting movement, as can be seen in his rendition of dancers, racecourse subjects and female nudes. His portraits are notable for their psychological complexity and for their portrayal of human isolation. PROVENANCE: Southern Ontario estate