Degas and the Crisis of Modern Draftsmanship

With Richard Kendall, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Edgar Degas’s approach to drawing changed profoundly—some would say disastrously—over his long career. Initially emulating Renaissance draftsmen, Degas rethought the techniques and purposes of drawing in a modern context. In old age his works on paper used gestural—even crude—marks that can still disconcert us today. This lecture will explore how the pioneering Impressionist defied tradition through his use of startling points of view, unconventional materials, and extreme breadth of handling.