Lithograph on vélin d'Arches paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered. Paper Size: 20 x 26 inches. Excellent condition. Notes: From the folio, Les Réalistes Lyriques, VIII, Collection Pierre Levy, 1973; published by Fernand Mourlot, Paris; printed by Mourlot Frères, Paris, November 23, 1973. Excerpted from the folio, This album, the eighth in a series dedicated to Mr. Pierre Lévy's collection, was printed in M examples on Arches vélin. Printing was completed on November 23, 1973 by Mourlot for reproductions of the paintings of the Les Réalistes Lyriques and by Fequet and Baudier for typography. Fernand Mourlot, Paris 1973. EDGAR DEGAS (1834-1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. Degas is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers. Although Degas is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, he rejected the term, preferring to be called a realist, and did not paint outdoors as many Impressionists did. Degas was a superb draftsman, and particularly masterly in depicting movement, as can be seen in his rendition of dancers and bathing female nudes. In addition to ballet dancers and bathing women, Degas painted racehorses and racing jockeys, as well as portraits. His portraits are notable for their psychological complexity and their portrayal of human isolation. At the beginning of his career, Degas wanted to be a history painter, a calling for which he was well prepared by his rigorous academic training and close study of classical Western art. In his early thirties he changed course, and by bringing the traditional methods of a history painter to bear on contemporary subject matter, he became a classical painter of modern life. Generations of artists, including Picasso, have been influenced by Degas.