A guide to the life and work of Edgar Degas. It draws on a range of sources - the artists own notebooks and letters, as well as anecdotes and memoirs from his intimate circle - to trace a vivid portrait of Degas at every stage of his long career. These sources reveal intimate aspects of Degas' life and personality. His notebooks and letters show him as a forceful and expressive writer, whether describing, in lyrical terms, his youthful travels in Italy, or, later, giving a candid account of his visit to relatives in America.