Edgar Germaine Hilaire Degas After viewing the works of the famous French artist Edgar Germaine Hilaire Degas, I noticed a similar theme. No matter the scene broadcast, his works appear mysterious and disturbing. Why are his works represented in this way? Why aren't women portrayed in your works like other artists of the time? Degas admired Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, even though their works contrasted immensely. This is due to the darkness in Degas' mind. It was said that you would never want to meet the person Degas, but the artist Degas is incredible. What could have caused such a conflict in the way he perceived women? Edgar Degas was born on July 19, 1834 in Paris, France. Born wealthy, Degas became well educated during his youth. He studied law at the University of Paris, as his father wanted him to achieve financial security on his own. However, his love for art was always present, even at a young age. He turned his bedroom into his personal study at the age of 18. During his time at the University of Paris, Degas met the famous artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, who encouraged him to pursue his talent. Shortly thereafter, Degas was accepted into the first Ecole des Beaux-arts ("School of Fine Arts"). After dating, Degas went to Italy for three years to continue his artistic studies. Degas' life was by no means perfect, when he was 13 his mother died. This caused him tremendous pain, due to the fact that his mother was a lover of the arts; she was an opera singer and often gave recitals at their home (“Edgar Degas”). It inspired and encouraged his artistic ways. Unfortunately, his death was the beginning of what would be the rest of Degas' life: the creation of... half the paper... and the little fourteen-year-old. -Old Girl (Figure 8). Edgar Degas' mind was unique and creative, producing some of the most famous works of the Impressionist period. Although his works were incredibly beautiful and had subject matter that could have been positive, his works often appear disturbing and mysterious. This is due to Degas' inner thoughts and feelings. Starting from the death of his mother at the age of 13, Degas never became attached to a woman during his life. This made him feel not only aggressive towards women, but also that he could despise them and his inferiors. Conflicting thoughts of aggression and admiration filled Degas' mind and are visible throughout his work. His work appears this way to the viewer because of Degas' inner thoughts, which were not always positive. This allows his works to differ from those of other artists of the period.