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Absinthe by Degas
A c. 1876 oil on canvas painting, Absinthe (aka In the Café), by Edgar Degas (1834-1917), the French impressionist painter. Here is a depiction of the impoverished and alienated lives of the capital's poor. Degas used two models for this work: actress Ellen Andrée and artist Marcellin Desboutin. Andrée complained that, in truth, it was not she who drank absinthe but Desboutin, who is here seen drinking tea. The light and shadow in the scene suggest it is morning, and so the taking of such a strong alcoholic drink as absinthe at that time carries its own meaning. (Musée d'Orsay, Paris)
Bibliography
- Howard, Michael. Encyclopedia of Impressionism. Thunder Bay Pr, 1997.
- Kear, Jon. Degas. Lorenz Books, 2012.
- Rubin, James H & Lablanche, Dominique & Manss, Thomas. Impressionism A&I . Phaidon Press, 1999.
- Thomson, Belinda. Impressionism. Thames & Hudson, 2022.
