The Loge
c. 1883
Step right up to the Paris Opera, where Degas captures the ultimate 19th-century spectator sport: people-watching. In this moody, atmospheric scene, a gentleman peers through his opera glasses while a stylish woman with a bright red flower in her hair sits nearby, seemingly lost in thought. Far below them on the stage, a tiny ballerina performs, but the real drama is happening right here in the box. Degas was absolutely obsessed with the theater, often painting from memory to capture the fleeting, candid moments of high society rather than stiff, formal portraits.
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