Veiled In Pastel: Visual Decline and the Aesthetic Legacy of Edgar Degas
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Purpose: To investigate whether clinical and material evidence support the hypothesis that Edgar Degas’sdeclining vision, likely due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), influenced his artistic technique and latestyle. Methodology: An integrative review was conducted using ophthalmological, curatorial, and spectralimaging studies. Ten articles were analyzed alongside four representative artworks through iconographic andpigment analysis. Results: Findings revealed features consistent with central vision loss, including blurredcontours, tonal modeling, and altered spatial composition. Simulated AMD matched visual distortions observedin Degas’s paintings. Material studies identified adaptive techniques such as pigment layering and the use oftracing paper. Conclusion: Degas’s vision loss likely played a decisive role in shaping his late work. Rather thaninhibiting creativity, it fostered technical innovation and stylistic reinvention. This case highlights the value ofinterdisciplinary approaches to understanding how sensory decline can influence artistic expression.
Authors: Daniel de Paula, Portilho, Carolina Oliveira de, Ávila, Joseli Aparecida, Braga Mota, Beatriz Fernandes Mendes, Nogueira Lopes, Jully Miranda, Porto, Isabella Costa, de almeida, Flavio Jose Lino Galhardo, de Carvalho Filho, Lucas Antônio Avelar, Carvalho, Francisco Miguel Natario, Neto Murta, Kevin Waquim Pessoa, Carvalho, Lisa Lauren Moura, Martins
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7081951236
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