Absinthe - Degas 1876


This is  an oil painting by Degas. He opposed the idea of painting outdoors and his subjects were often of indoor scenes. Although this painting is set in an establishment where many of the impressionist artists met, the New Athens in Paris, it was thought to have been mostly painted in his studio.
Degas did not call himself an impressionist and preferred the term realist. However he did, through his painting, represent the world around him in that moment in time.
While this painting has an off centre composition which was a feature of the Impressionists, he didn't use, in my opinion, the bright colours of the Impressionists. He has reflected the light by strong contrasting tones i.e. almost black beside very light colours.
This painting is very bold as it shows a couple looking the worse for wear due to alcohol. Although the model was a successful actress, she does not look glamorous at all. The painting does not have a joyful feel. I find it strange that Degas would paint such an uncommercial subject during a time in his life when he needed his paintings to sell as he had spent a lot of money paying his brother's debts. His ballet dancers were good sellers. However it did have a British owner in 1893 as he put it into a London exhibition where is was considered vulgar and created such a scandal that the owner hastened to get rid of it!
I wouldn't hang this up on my wall, the palette doesn't excite me let alone the subject, however I do admire the fact that an artist can find inspiration in unobvious places.

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