Edgar Germaine Hilaire DegasWhile looking at the works of famous French artist Edgar Germaine Hilaire Degas, I noticed a similar theme. Whatever the scene conveyed, his works seem mysterious and disturbing. Why are his works represented in this way? Why are women in his works not depicted in the same way as other artists of the time? Degas admired Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, even though their works were extremely contrasting. This is due to the darkness in Degas's mind. It was said that we would never want to meet Degas, but Degas the artist is incredible. What could have caused such conflict in his perception of women?Edgar Degas was born on July 19, 1834 in Paris, France. Born into wealth, Degas acquired a good education throughout his youth. He studied law at the University of Paris because his father wanted him to achieve financial security on his own. However, his love for art was ever-present, even from a young age. He transformed his bedroom into his personal studio at the age of 18. While studying at the University of Paris, Degas met renowned artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, who encouraged him to pursue his talent. Shortly after, Degas was admitted to the first Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After his participation, Degas traveled to Italy for three years to continue his artistic studies. Degas' life was far from perfect, when he was 13 his mother died. This caused him immense grief, as his mother was a lover of the arts; she was an opera singer and often gave recitals at their home (“Edgar Degas”). She inspired and encouraged his artistic endeavors. Unfortunately, his death was the beginning of what would be the rest of Degas's life - the creation of ...... middle of paper ...... and Le Petit de fourteen ans -Vieille Fille (Figure 8). The mind of Edgar Degas was unique and creative, producing some of the most famous works of the Impressionist period. Although his works were incredibly beautiful and had what could have been positive subject matter, his works often seem strange and mysterious. This is due to Degas's inner thoughts and feelings. Since the death of his mother at the age of 13, Degas never became attached to a woman during his lifetime. This caused him to not only feel aggressive towards women, but also to despise them and his inferiors. Conflicting thoughts of aggression and admiration invaded Degas's mind and are found throughout his work. His work appears as it appears to the viewer because of Degas' inner thoughts, which were not always positive. This allows his works to differ from other artists of the time.