Edgar Degas (19 July 1834 - 27 September 1917)

A French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, although he rejected the term. Degas preferred  to be called Realist.

Edgar Degas was born in Paris, France, the oldest of five children in a moderately wealthy family. His father was Augustin De Gas, a banker, his mother was Célestine Musson De Gas, a Creole from New Orleans, LA.

Degas began to paint early in life At  18, he graduated from the Lycée with bachelors in literature in 1853. He had turned a room in his home into an artist's studio. Upon graduating, he registered as a copyist in The Louvre Museum, but his father expected him to go to law school.

In November 1853, Degas enrolled in law school at the University of Paris.
Degas was not very interested in being a law student. In 1855, he met Jean August Dominique Ingres who encouraged Degas to be an an artist. In the spring of 1855 he was admitted to Ecole Des Beaux-Arts.