"The Shade" by Rodin is in front of the High Museum in Atlanta as a gift from the government of France in memory of the victims of a plane crash on June 3, 1962. Among the 130 victims were members of the Berry family. At the time, this crash had the highest death toll of any plane crash in history.
Edgar Degas (19 July 1834 - 27 September 1917) was a French Impressionist painter famous for his paintings of female dancers. Degas learned to paint in part from copying famous works hanging in the Louvre. Degas’ first “attention grabbing” painting was Steeplechase- The Fallen Jockey (1866).
In 1972, Degas moved to New Orleans and painted many of his famous works there, including The New Orleans Cotton Exchange (1873).
Upon returning to France in 1873, Degas began showcasing his work with a group of other impressionist painters, including Renoir and Monet. During this time, he refused to be called an Impressionist, preferring the term “Realist”.
The Dance Class (1874)
Degas also created sculptures out of wax and cast in bronze after his death.
