The Orchestra at the Opera
| The Orchestra at the Opera | |
|---|---|
Musee d'Orsay, Paris |
The Orchestra at the Opera (c. 1870) is an
oil-on-canvas painting by the French artist Edgar Degas (1834–1917).[1]
The musicians depicted in the
bassoonist and composer Désiré Dihau (1838–1909), who commissioned the painting, at work on his instrument, and the cellist Louis-Marie Pilet (1815–1877) on his string instrument.[2]
The painting was handed over, without further retouching possible, to its owner (Dihau), who exhibited it in Lille, which made Degas' family, until then doubtful about the art of their "Raphael" : "It is thanks to you that he has finally produced and completed a work, a real painting".[3]
Blurring the distinction between portraiture and
Impressionist'."[4]
The painting is the first instance in Degas' work where dancers from the ballet appear. He would depict dancers frequently for the rest of his career, and it is for his ballet pictures that he remains best known.[5][6]
References
- ^ "L'Orchestre de l'Opéra - Edgar Degas | Musée d'Orsay". www.musee-orsay.fr.
- Gallica
- ^ "The Orchestra at the Opera - Edgar Degas". Google Arts & Culture.
- ^ Guillaud and Guillaud 1985, p. 28
- ^ "Degas' love of the Paris opera house is brought to the fore in this catalogue". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. May 6, 2020.
- ^ Sweet, David A. F. (October 7, 2023). "Works of Manet and Degas Are United in Mesmerizing Exhibit". Classic Chicago Magazine.