In his paintings and sculptures, Edgar Degas challenged the idealized representations of women that have been typical of our society for hundreds of years. He portrayed women without femininity, without grace; he portrayed them realistically. His art and its implications made many uncomfortable because it called into question the society's longstanding assumptions about gender. As a result, many critics called Degas' technique "misogynistic," merely because his depiction of women was different and new. Degas' portraits of women are important not only for artistic value, but because they reveal many of the stereotypes of our society which are still prevalent today.

Misogyny: A misogynist is defined as one who fosters "hatred or hostility towards women." The theory that Edgar Degas was indeed a misogynist was determined a number of years ago by art historians like J.K. Huysmans, and this idea has been retained as an indisputable truth. Huysmans saw it as a desire on Degas' part to "humiliate and debase his subjects." Another critic, Benedict Nicholson, took quite a different approach to the question of Degas' "misogyny": " 'Even from Degas' pictures a bewildering indifference to the grace of woman emerges…It is not that he treats a woman as though she were a horse: he treats her with more savagery." In retrospect, perhaps the negative reaction to Degas' art, a contrasted attitude towards women, tells more about our society than about Degas himself.

Degas' paintings are unique in that they are contrary to the common representation of women. He undermined the view of women as it was maintained in societal behavior and in art. Throughout the Renaissance, as well as before and after it, the female form was idealized and depicted as beautiful.
 

For example, in Titian's "The Venus of Urbino" (1538), the woman's body is displayed in a beautiful, luxurious, and sensuous way. She appears to be flawless. However, the subjects in Degas' paintings show no signs of femininity, as Degas shows no signs of idealization or even sentimentality towards the women. In fact, when one hostess reportedly asked Degas, "Why do you paint women so ugly, Monsieur Degas?" he replied, "Women in general are ugly."  Titian, Venus of Urbino (1538) From http://www.artchive.com/artchive/T/titian/titian_venus_of_urbino.jpg.html

On the other hand, this attitude towards women that is occasionally reflected in Degas' paintings, does not appear to have carried into his life. It is true that he never married, but as one of his friends and fellow artist Georges Riviere points out: "Degas enjoyed the company of women! He, who often depicted them with real cruelty, derived great pleasure from being with them, enjoyed their conversation and produced pleasing phrases for them." In addition, Degas' failure to marry may not have been a outgrowth of his hatred for women, or rather a hint that he was a repressed homosexual (as some art historians have theorized), but a sign of Degas' aversion to the role defined patterns of behavior in society. It seems he was aware of the fact that he was not "cut out for the annoyances of family life," but nevertheless he was lonely, and women were always an important part of his life. For example, Degas played an active role in encouraging female artists and guiding them into the Impressionist circle. The well-known American artist Mary Cassatt was first invited by Degas, after he had seen her work at the Salon in 1874, to exhibit her paintings with the other Impressionists. Degas' paintings depicted women in ways unlike those of the traditional representations of the feminine figure.
 

For example, in his "Portrait of Mary Cassatt," ca. 1880-84, the artist is shown leaning forward in a most unlady-like fashion, her arms resting on her thighs, her hands holding a hand of cards. She displays no signs of femininity or grace, without a self-conscious smile or gaze. This painting shows one of his intentions in his portrayal of women. He wished to capture them as distinct people; and rather than emphasizing their charm or beauty, accentuating their individual characters. He strove to paint women as realistically as he painted men.  Degas, Portrait of Mary Cassatt, (ca. 1880-1884) From http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/cgfa/dagas/p-degas1.htm

Another of his controversial paintings was "Petites Filles Spartiates des Garcons," or "Spartan Girls Challenging the Boys," ca. 1860. Many critics determined that this painting showed an unhealthy and unnatural hostility between the two sexes. On the other hand, the attitude of the girls in this painting seems to be purely competitive, a characteristic which was not encouraged for women in society.

Degas, Petites Filles Spartiates des Garcons, (ca. 1860) from http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/cgfa/degas/p-degas18.htm

Therefore, in many of his paintings, Degas appears to have a more revolutionary or modern conception of the equality between men and women. In paintings such as this one, Degas presents the possibilities for female independence in historical contexts. It is not surprising that since Degas was challenging the ideals of his society, his art would be denounced as "misogynistic." However, it is important to try to prevent the stereotypes of our society from clouding our interpretation of this revolutionary artist's work. His depictions of women were modern because he freed them from the traditional idealistic view of the female gender.

Degas Introduction| Impressionism| Relationship Between Subject and Viewer| Compositional Techniques| Depiction of Women