Degas was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. His career was long and his style, unlike that of most famous artists who worked into their old age, never ceased developing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism and is especially identified with the subject of dance (over half of his works depict dancers such as The Dance Class or the sculpture The Little Fourteen Year Old Dancer). These display his mastery in the depiction of movement, as do his more rare, course subjects and female nudes (La Toilette). His portraits are considered to be among the finest in the history of art. His work was strongly influenced by Ingres and Delacroix combining the expressive qualities of Ingres with the colour of Delacroix.
