Edgar Degas, the renowned impressionist artist, has become the subject of a captivating theory that he may have been the infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper. In a widely shared TikTok video, creator Kiki Schirr delves into the eerie coincidences that connect Degas to the Whitechapel murders of 1888.
Schirr points to Degas’s misogyny, evidenced by his degrading comments about women. She suggests that his deteriorating eyesight may have heightened his resentment and hatred toward them. Furthermore, Degas’s wealth and connections in Paris, just a train ride away from London, provided him with the means to travel and commit the crimes.
Schirr highlights Degas’s friendship with James Abbott McNeill Whistler, who lived in London during the murder spree. She believes Degas could have used these connections to plan his trips to the city, coinciding with the Ripper’s killings. Additionally, Degas’s letters to his acquaintances during this period, mentioning his whereabouts, could have been an attempt to establish an alibi.
Jack the Ripper’s gruesome methods, involving the removal of organs, are also examined. Schirr points out Degas’s extensive knowledge of anatomy, gained through his attendance at human dissections, as a possible explanation for the surgical precision exhibited by the killer. She notes that two of the Ripper’s murders occurred on the same night, both targeting Jewish victims. This aligns with Degas’s known antisemitism and his alleged use of chalk, a medium he employed in his pastel artwork.
Schirr explores Degas’s obsession with painting ballerinas, especially those who appear isolated and unaware. She argues that these paintings reflect Jack the Ripper’s objectification and devaluation of women. She draws attention to the dark shadows in the backgrounds of Degas’s works, suggesting they represent the shadowy figures lurking in the night, looking to arrange encounters with prostitutes.
The theory presented by Schirr has sparked a lively discussion, with some viewers expressing their agreement and others expressing skepticism. However, it serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the darker impulses that can exist beneath the surface of art and history. The evidence may be circumstantial, but the coincidences are compelling enough to leave a lingering question: Did Edgar Degas get away with murder?
