A self-proclaimed Realist, Degas is now completely committed to painting scenes of contemporary life; laundresses and dancers emerge as favored subjects. His style and focus on the figure set him apart from contemporaries, such as Monet and Renoir, who paint outdoors. He prefers to work in his studio. "The School of Ballet," c.1873 1870 May: Displays his work at the Salon for the last time. July: The Franco-Prussian War begins. Degas volunteers for the National Guard and serves in the artillery; a medical examination shows that he has little sight in one eye. September: The Third Republic is proclaimed. 1871 March: Proclamation of the Commune in Paris, which is violently suppressed. "Dance Class at the Opéra," 1872 1872 Visits his brother René in New Orleans and paints several pictures there. The art dealer Durand-Ruel buys Degas' "Dance Class at the Opéra." 1873 The old Paris Opéra theater on the rue Le Peletier, where his first ballet scenes were set, burns down. December: Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, Morisot, and Cézanne create the "Société anonyme," dedicated to non-juried exhibitions of works of art. "The Rehearsal," c.1873-78    1874 April: A display by the "Société anonyme," now known as the first Impressionist exhibition, opens to mixed reviews. Among Degas' submissions is "Ballet Rehearsal on the Stage." Degas' father dies in Naples; financial troubles ensue. Degas assumes responsibility for the family's debts. "Ballet Rehearsal on the Stage," 1874 1875-80 He experiments with a wide range of materials and techniques; with Ludovic Lepic, he develops the monotype printing process. Makes his first images of cafés, cabarets, and brothels; continues to paint portraits, racecourses, laundresses, and dancers. The influence of Japanese prints is apparent in his cropped figures, acute perspectives, and asymmetrical compositions. "The Foyer," 1876-77 "In the Foyer: Men and Dancers," 1876-77 1875 The new Paris Opéra theater, the Palais Garnier, opens; Degas will watch ballets and dance classes there throughout the next decade. 1876 Degas and his colleagues mount the second Impressionist exhibition; nearly half of the 20 pictures he displays are dance subjects. Degas' friend, the critic and author Edmond Duranty, publishes a pamphlet in which he asserts Degas' role in revitalizing painting. "Green Dancer," c.1880 1877 Opening of the third Impressionist exhibition; Degas displays 23 paintings and pastels, and several monotypes. "Dancer with a Bouquet, Bowing" is a study for one of the pastels. "Dancer with a Bouquet, Bowing," c.1876-78 1878 The first Degas work displayed in America, "Rehearsal of the Ballet," is exhibited at the Eleventh Annual Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society, NY. "Rehearsal of the Ballet," c.1876 1879 Degas, Caillebotte, Monet, Pissarro, and Cassatt participate in the fourth Impressionist exhibition. Among Degas' numerous entries are a series of five fan-shaped compositions. "Fan: Dancers with a Double Bass," c. 1879 1880 Opening of the fifth Impressionist exhibition. Degas' paintings, pastels, drawings, and prints receive critical acclaim; he is hailed as "the painter of dancers." "Three Dancers in the Wings," c.1880-85    1881 At the sixth Impressionist exhibition, Degas shows eight works of art including the sculpture "Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen." The wax figure -- dressed in a muslin tutu, fabric bodice, real slippers, and a wig of real hair -- provokes tremendous controversy, inciting both violent criticism and fervent praise. "Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen," 1878-81