After the Impressionist movement, Degas continued to paint, only selling paintings when he wanted to. By the late 1880s, his eyesight began to deteriorate, leading to his focus on dancers and nude forms for the rest of his career.
Degas differed greatly from the traditional Impressionists that were creating art at the same time that he was. One of the main differences was that he refused to paint en plein air.
Experimenting with the intensity of line and the sensual joys of color, Degas worked to combine these two elements in such a way that an air of tension was added to his compositions.
Degas went on to have an extremely long and impactful career as an artist, creating some paintings which are still spoken about and studied in detail today.
Spending numerous hours walking through the museums and galleries that Italy had to offer, Degas carefully studied the Renaissance artworks of the greats, which helped him to establish his own unique style.
In the late period of his career, Degas rejected oil painting completely. Despite this, he carried on working with a variety of other mediums that included pastels, with sculpture emerging as his new and favorite medium of art.
Dance and movement captivated Degas, which led to his fascination with ballerinas. He chose to depict dancers in various stages and places, such as on stage or waiting behind the stage.
Although Degas was heavily criticized during his career and lifetime, his reputation as one of the leading artists of late 19th century French art was guaranteed by the time that he passed away.