His paintings featured ballerinas, working laundresses, and women at their toilettes.
Degas met Édouard Manet while he was copying a piece by Diego Velázquez in the Louvre. Through Manet, Degas was introduced to the group of Impressionists. Instead of making history paintings, Degas started to paint scenes from contemporary everyday life. His paintings featured ballerinas, working laundresses, and women at their toilettes.