Discover Degas & Miss La La

The extraordinary story behind Degass groundbreaking painting of the biracial circus performer Miss La La Edgar Degass Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando (1879) is one of only two paintings by the artist representing people of colour. Miss La La, born Anna Olga Brown to a white Prussian mother and African-American emancipated slave father, was a renowned performer of extraordinary daring in fin-de-sicle Paris. Exploring the fascinating story behind Degass painting, this is the first in-depth study to focus on the sitters identity, presenting new research on her life and career, as well as unpublished photographic material tracing her tour across Europe. The book also analyses the genesis of Degass work, from his rapid sketches completed on the spot to his more elaborate preparatory drawings and pastels. The son of a Creole mother from New Orleans, Degas travelled to Louisiana in 187273, which was to have a lasting impact on his art. This book examines the artists complex attitudes to ethnicity in relation to his own family background, and the representation of multiracial people in late nineteenth-century France. Published by National Gallery Global/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: National Gallery, London (June 6September 1, 2024)