85 mins |
Rated
E
Directed by David Bickerstaff
Starring Edgar Degas, Trevor Allan Davies
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN journeys from the streets of
Paris to the heart of a superb exhibition at the Fitzwilliam
Museum in Cambridge, whose extensive collection of
Degas’ works is the most representative in Britain. With
exclusive access to view rare and diverse works, this film tells a fascinating story of Degas’ pursuit for perfection through both experimentation with new techniques and lessons learnt from studying the past masters.
Sometimes frustrated by his own failings, Degas was
consumed by obsessive principles and failing eyesight but his determination to capture everyday life was evident in every
mark he made. Never fully satisfied, many of Degas’ drawings
and sculptures were kept in private during his lifetime but,
now through close examination, they can be seen as some
of the most beautifully detailed and expressive works in the
modern era.
Using written accounts by friends and commentators,
and the narration of letters written by Degas himself, this
film reveals a more complex truth behind one of the most
influential French artists of the late 19th-century and
serves as an exploration of the complex workings of Degas’
artistic mind.
“Art is not a matter of what you see, but what you
make other people see” Edgar Degas
Read more...
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN journeys from the streets of
Paris to the heart of a superb exhibition at the Fitzwilliam
Museum in Cambridge, whose extensive collection of
Degas’ works is the most representative in Britain. With
exclusive access to view rare and diverse works, this film tells a fascinating story of Degas’ pursuit for perfection through both experimentation with new techniques and lessons learnt from studying the past masters.
Sometimes frustrated by his own failings, Degas was
consumed by obsessive principles and failing eyesight but his determination to capture everyday life was evident in every
mark he made. Never fully satisfied, many of Degas’ drawings
and sculptures were kept in private during his lifetime but,
now through close examination, they can be seen as some
of the most beautifully detailed and expressive works in the
modern era.
Using written accounts by friends and commentators,
and the narration of letters written by Degas himself, this
film reveals a more complex truth behind one of the most
influential French artists of the late 19th-century and
serves as an exploration of the complex workings of Degas’
artistic mind.
“Art is not a matter of what you see, but what you
make other people see” Edgar Degas