Which Old Masters influenced Edgar Degas?

Edgar Degas was a profound admirer of the Old Masters, often studying their work at the Louvre to inform his own practice. Throughout his career, he navigated a tension between the linear precision of the past and the expressive potential of color, frequently invoking traditional techniques while developing his own innovative methods.1234

Key influences included:

• Florentine and Venetian Masters: During his time in Italy, Degas modeled his drawings on the linear restraint of Florentine masters such as Michelangelo. He later acknowledged the influence of Venetian painters like Titian, whose work introduced him to the appeal of densely hued surfaces.3
• Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres: Degas held a near-reverence for Ingres, the 19th-century champion of Classical line, whose influence helped foster Degas's lifelong fascination with the human form.35
• Flemish Portraiture: His early work, such as The Bellelli Family, shows clear echoes of Flemish portraiture, specifically the style of Anthony van Dyck.6
• The Dutch School: Degas admired the Dutch school for its ability to combine traditional and modern approaches, a quality he sought to emulate in his own depictions of everyday life.5