The Millinery Shop by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas

For The Millinery Shop (1884-90), Impressionist artist Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas chose a high point of view to portray a milliner at work trimming a hat. The figure's absorption in her task, as well as her position deep in the com­position, suggests that she is unaware of being observed. The hats, arranged on stands at random on her worktable, are more prominent in the composition than she is and, with their colorful ribbons and floral wreathes, have the decorative appearance of a fashionable modern still life.

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas's The Millinery Shop is an oil on canvas (39-3/8x43-9/16 inches), which is housed in The Art Institute of Chicago.

The next, and final, Impressionist painting by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas in this article is The Two Dancers, which Degas painted at the age of 56, when his eyesight had started failing.

For more on Impressionist paintings, artists, and art history, see:

• Impressionism
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet