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