DAY 185

A PICTURE’S WORTH 1000 200 WORDS

L'Absinthe

EDGAR DEGAS, C. 1875-1876

This is one of several paintings depicting Parisian bohemian life at the end of the 19^th century that we will discuss before the end of the year. Here we have an evocative scene from Edgar Degas, set at the Café de la Nouvelle-Athenes in Paris.

Critics and audiences alike loathed this piece for years after its creation because they disapproved of the people in the scene. Although familiar faces in the artists’ community, this woman and man (a local actress and her well-known bohemian artist companion) were considered immoral and uncouth by “proper” society and, therefore, outrageously unfit subjects for a painting.

Meanwhile, absinthe itself is known for its high alcohol content and even hallucinogenic power, and its presence adds to the painting’s scandal. What does the look on the woman’s face and her large glass of absinthe suggest about her life? Her expression has a way of eliciting curiosity, pity, and even laughter all at once. And what do you make of the man’s expression? Degas successfully captured their disillusioned, almost despondent gazes—ones that still intrigue viewers today. —DDG