Between 1856 and 1859, Edgar Degas undertook an extended journey through Italy that proved formative in the development of his artistic identity. Degas’ father was a cultivated man with strong Italian connections, who encouraged his son to travel to Naples. Though this trip was intended as a visit to family, Degas used the opportunity to immerse himself in the study of the Italian Renaissance masters.
During his time in Italy, Degas spent extended periods in Florence, Rome, and Naples, carefully studying and copying the works of earlier Masters. In Florence, he developed a particular admiration for Andrea del Sarto, whose technical precision and clarity of form left a lasting impression. Rome offered Degas direct access to the Vatican collections, where he engaged closely with the work of Raphael and Michelangelo, focusing on their compositional logic and anatomical mastery. In Naples, he made careful studies of works housed in the Capodimonte Museum, which featured significant Renaissance and Baroque holdings.
Degas approached this period of study with rigour and intent. His sketch books from the Italian years reveal a deep engagement with the formal qualities of artists such as Giotto, Mantegna, Leonardo da Vinci, and Titian. Rather than copying for admiration alone, Degas sought to internalise their methods, particularly their emphasis on linear clarity, structure, and form; values that would inform his later work, even as he moved toward modern subjects and innovative compositions. Though ultimately associated with the Impressionist movement, Degas’ Italian studies grounded him in a more classical tradition than many of his contemporaries. He often stated his desire to be a “realist” in the lineage of the Old Masters. This early commitment to draftsmanship and compositional discipline would remain central to his practice, shaping his distinctive approach to the depiction of movement, the human figure, and modern life.
