Painter, sculptor, engraver, and draftsman Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas was born on July 19, 1834 in Paris, France. The son of a high-flying banker, Edgar Degas’s childhood was spent in the bosom of a wealthy family. After completing high school, he decided to pursue a law degree. Later, in 1855, he changed course and joined the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Here, he had the opportunity to study with Louis Lamothe, who was a student of the ‘classical’ artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. In keeping with his belief that traveling would help his artistic training, Edgar Degas visited Italian places, such as Rome, Naples, and Florence, very early in his career. He intended to learn and reproduce the art of ‘Renaissance’ pioneers such as Sandro Botticelli, Nicolas Poussin and Andrea Mantegna. At this point in his career, one of the heralds of ‘impressionism’, Degas specialized in drawing family portraits, reflected most notably in “The Bellelli Family”.

“The Bellelli Family” or Family Portrait is one of the most famous oil paintings on canvas by Edgar Degas, when he was young. He visited Florence, Italy, in August 1858. Inspired by his visit to Naples, the painting is a family portrait of his Italian aunt Laura Bellelli, who was then pregnant, and her husband, Baron Gennaro Bellelli, who had been exiled from Naples. (his hometown), and his two young daughters. The scene is set in the mid-century living room. The room has an authentic fireplace, with a mirror, a clock and a picture frame drawn by Laura’s father, adorning the wall. Degas painted “The Bellelli Family” in his Paris studio during 1858-60.

Laura Bellelli appears dressed, symbolizing the mourning for her deceased father. Her expression is decorous, domineering and stern, similar to that of her daughters. While her older cousin, Giovanna, is standing with her mother, Edgar’s younger cousin, Giulia, is sitting, sporting a youthful expression and probably looking at her father. Both sisters wear a black dress with white aprons. Baron Gennaro Bellelli seems distant from his family, reflecting his then dull and insignificant entity. He is shown seated in a black armchair, half turned towards probably his youngest daughter and most of his back towards the viewers.

A genius work of the young Degas, the portrait evokes the stress of each member of the family. None of the four characters look at each other. Everyone’s gaze is fixed in different directions. Due to this obviously reflected family discord, the painting was shown publicly only in 1918, after the disappearance of all the characters shown in “The Bellelli Family”. The intimidating dimensions, the sober colors, the intentional use of open perspectives (doors and mirrors), all combine to escalate an environment of oppression. Tinted mainly in black, this one of the early splendors of ‘Impressionism’, “The Bellelli Family” has muted tones.

After successfully completing “The Bellelli Family”, Degas returned to Paris in 1861 and switched his interest to ‘biblical’ paintings. Coveted among fervent patrons of art, the Salon finally took notice of his work. This celebrated annual state art exhibition brought him well-deserved fame and money. A financially sound Degas lacked the scarcity that most of his contemporaries suffered from. Although his ‘Historical Art’ and ‘Biblical Art’ was a great sensation, Edgar Degas ended up choosing more contemporary subjects. His urge to portray the pulsating life around him led him to the race track. He depicted horses, riders, and wealthy spectators in his hippodrome paintings. Later, he began to represent ballet dancers, which eventually turned out to be his most celebrated subjects. His technique was unique, with a strong inclination towards drawing, artwork and portraiture.

After 1870, Edgar’s vision began to fail him, which turned him into ‘Sculpture of Figurines’. He filled his bronze statues of horses and ballet dancers with the same style of grace and lyricism as his paintings. Completely blind towards the end of his life, Edgar Degas died a reclusive eccentric on September 27, 1917 in Paris. The National Gallery of Australia’s exhibition, ‘Degas: The Master of French Art’, showcases a range of Edgar Degas’ art, from his early and historical portraits, to modern subjects and finally his experimental paintings and photographs in the decade from 1890. All said and done, Edgar’s 200cm x 253cm frame “The Bellelli Family” remains the ultimate landmark and is currently on display in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.