Mutual Regard The Relatonship of Gustave Moreau and Edgar Degas

Lea Rosen

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Hassold, Cris

Keywords

Moreau, Gustave, Degar, Edgar, 19th Century French Painting

Area of Concentration

Humanities

Abstract

This thesis explores the aesthetic, artistic, personal and historical implications of the brief but intense friendship of Gustave Moreau and Edgar Degas. The two painters met before either had achieved his greatest fame, and drifted apart as each established a unique style and approach to painting. Ultimately, Moreau became famous for his highly finished paintings of classic mythical and religious subjects. Degas grew into a central figure in the Parisian avant-garde of the late nineteenth century, and was known for painting his subjects with a cynical and psychologically acute realism. I seek to illustrate in this thesis how their time together made both Degas and Moreau better painters, how the rift between their aesthetic philosophies mirrored the tensions in the art world of their day, and how looking at their works side-by-side can bring out a deeper appreciation for both artists' projects. Their mutual influence is demonstrable in their paintings through the years, and in their correspondence during the time of their friendship. In particular, I will examine both artists' attempts to reconcile the classically opposing tendencies of line and color in their work, and the ways in which their unique creative processes encouraged this reconciliation.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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