Edgar Degas is known as an Impressionist painter. Impressionism started in France in the 1860s. Degas is best known for his pictures of ballet dancers, the romantic Paris night-life and horse racing scenes. He often used charcoal and coloured chalk to create his artworks. In his last years fading eyesight saw him painting less and turning more to sculpture and modelling.

It is estimated Degas made approximately 1500 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings of dancers.

Here are three paintings by this great French painter.

The Dance Class Date Painted:1874 Size:85 x 75 cm(33½ x 29½") Materials: Oil on Canvas Current Location: Musée d'Orsay, Paris	Music Hall Singer (La Chanson du Chien) Date Painted:1875-7 Size:57.5 x 45.5 cm (22½ x 17¾") Materials: Gouache, pastel, and monotype on joined paper Current Location: Private Collection, New York	Jockeys in the Rain Date Painted:1880-1 Size:46 x 55 cm (18 x 21¾") Materials: Pastel Current Location: Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum