Edgar Degas is a French painter who is most famous for his work in the Impressionist movement. He was born on July 19, 1834, in Paris, France and died on September 27, 1917; he is considered one of the greatest artists in history.

Degas was raised by his father who was an artist and his mother who was a ballet dancer. He had two sisters and three brothers. His sister Rosita became a dancer like her mother but she died at the age of 26 from tuberculosis. His brother Eugene also became an artist but he committed suicide at age 35 because of depression caused by syphilis which he contracted from prostitutes during World War I where he served as a medical assistant.

Degas began drawing at an early age but he did not start painting until later in his teens when he attended military school with hopes of becoming an officer in Napoleon III's army but failed due to poor grades so instead decided to pursue art instead which was more suited for him since he did not have much interest in learning math or science subjects that were taught at his school during those times when they were still under French control before it became part of German territory during World War II (1944-1945).