Women in Front of a Cafe, Evening by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas favored portraying Parisian life as seen in Women in Front of a Café, Evening (1877). Unlike the other members of the circle, Degas had little interest in seeking subjects outside the realm of urban Paris. In this, he embodied poet Charles-Pierre Baudelaire's idea of the flaneur, the man at home -- and at leisure -- in the city, who observed every aspect of modern life. Here he highlights a monotype -- a single reproduced image -- with bright strokes of pastel.

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas's Women in Front of a Café, Evening is a pastel over monotype (16-1/8 x 23-5/8 inches), which is on display at Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Whether it was the hustle and bustle of night life or the theater, Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas painted the new, modern Paris. One of his favorite subjects was dancers. Learn about the Impressionist painting The Star (L'Étoile) on the next page.

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

• Impressionism
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet