He was also a passionate and fascinating collector: from Delacroix to Ingres, passing by Manet, Gauguin, Cézanne, and some Van Gogh, he was obviously a tasteful man.
His contradictory temperament was also expressed in his artistic practice: Although attached to impressionism (despite himself), Degas, like his friend Manet, showed a true classical will. Unlike Monet or Renoir, his ambition wasn't to revolutionize the art world, but to integrate it as best he could. He always favored drawing over color, and never succumbed to the temptations of open-air painting, which he vehemently abhorred. He was also a passionate and fascinating collector: from Delacroix to Ingres, passing by Manet, Gauguin, Cézanne, and some Van Gogh, he was obviously a tasteful man.