'Degas In Bronze' at Boca Raton Museum of Art

Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:15

Boca Raton, FL - One of the most important artists of the 19th century, the French painter and sculptor Edgar Degas (1834-1917) spent his entire life investigating the figure in motion through countless studies of ballerinas, racehorses, and bathers.  Though he worked relentlessly on small composite sculptures privately, he only exhibited one completed sculpture during his lifetime.  Degas in Bronze offers an extremely rare opportunity to view 74 sculptures, posthumously cast in bronze from Degas' original composite and wax models.  This collection is one of only four complete sets of bronzes cast by Hèbrard between 1919 and 1922 from Degas's original fragile statuettes.  On exhibition until 13 April, 2007.

Despite the difficulties attending the casting of such fragile originals, Hébrard's work was widely acclaimed when the pieces were first exhibited in Paris in 1921, due to the skill of the caster, Albino Palazzolo, and to the supervision of Degas's friend Albert Bartholomé.  The 74 bronzes in this exhibition are on loan from the Museum de Arte de São Paulo, Brazil.

Degas in Bronze: The Complete Sculptures explores one of the most fascinating aspects of the work of Degas, whose innovative compositions, skillful drawing, and perceptive analysis of movement made him one of the late 19th-century masters of modern art.  During the Boca Raton Museum of Art's exhibition, the bronzes will be augmented by a selection of Degas prints and drawings to provide visitors with a fuller view of the artist's creative genius for representing the figure in motion.

Degas in Bronze presents an extraordinary opportunity to experience Degas's complete work in sculpture.  A pioneering artist in so many respects, Degas set the stage for later developments in modern art through his innovations in depicting life-like form and movement.  Degas in Bronze is organized by Joseph S. Czestochowski and circulated by International Arts, Memphis, Tennessee.

The Boca Raton Museum of Art was founded in 1950 as the Art Guild of Boca Raton, and has evolved into one of the leading cultural institutions in South Florida.  Celebrating its fifth year in its 44,000 square foot home in Mizner Park, the Museum has achieved international recognition as a world-class visual arts institution, presenting dynamic traveling exhibitions from acclaimed and emerging artists, and an outstanding permanent collection.  Some of the Museum’s programs include the Art Films Series, artist lectures, family programs, Music at the Museum, the International Film Series, and more than 85 classes a week at its studio Art School.

Visit www.bocamuseum.org for more information.