In Paris, Degas and the Nude April 3, 2012, 10:00 am Edgar Degas's reputation largely rests on his paintings of horse racing and dancers, portraits and genre scenes. Far less celebrated but equally compelling are his nudes, a subject he returned to throughout his career. In collaboration with Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée d'Orsay (1, rue de la Légion d'Honneur) sets out to rectify this oversight with the remarkable exhibition "Degas and the Nude," which will be held through July 1, and includes important loans from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, among others. "What makes this exhibition all the more special is the gathering of exceptional pieces that are rarely exhibited because of their sensitivity to light exposure and fragility," said Xavier Rey, curator of paintings at the Musée d'Orsay. The show will mix, and reveal, all the techniques used by Degas in his career - painting, drawing in pencil and charcoal, pastel, etching, lithograph, monotype, sculpture and photography. Arranged chronologically in seven sections, the show traces the changes in Degas's styles over almost 50 years, from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, when the avant-garde movement was evolving. As he matured, Degas became more interested in representing the women of his day with dignity using innovative techniques. He broke with the idealization of the figure with a series of monotypes of brothels whose erotic nature kept them out of the public eye for many years.