Absinthe by Degas

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Illustration

Mark Cartwright
by Musée d'Orsay
published on 27 March 2022
Absinthe by Degas Download Full Size Image

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)

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Cite This Work

APA Style

d'Orsay, M. (2022, March 27). Absinthe by Degas. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15551/absinthe-by-degas/

Chicago Style

d'Orsay, Musée. "Absinthe by Degas." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 27, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15551/absinthe-by-degas/.

MLA Style

d'Orsay, Musée. "Absinthe by Degas." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 27 Mar 2022. Web. 26 Jul 2024.

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