With a career that spanned roughly 50 years, Edgar Degas was among the group of innovators who ushered in a new era in art. Eschewing the subjects that were the mainstay of traditional painting, Degas focused instead on scenes of everyday life and became the first serious artist to depict the world of dance, specifically the ballets and ballerinas of the Paris Opéra. See a selection of these works as you learn more about his life and career.