Chapter 24 / L'absinthe

Edgar Degas / 1876

Edgar degas was a French artist, most famous for his paintings, prints, and drawings. Over half of his paintings depict dancers, so he is often associated with the subject of dance. Degas is generally regarded as one of the founders of impressionism, however he didn't like the term and preferred to be called a realist. He was a master at depicting movement as well as social isolation. Although this painting doesn't show a lot of movement, the fact that is lacks movement is just as important. It is a great representation, however, of Degas' mastery of the depiction of social isolation.

In 1876, Degas created this painting to represent the effect of the drink "absinthe" on the current population. It is oil on canvas, and done in the impressionist theme. The painting shows a woman sitting at a cafe in front of a drink, and a man to her left on the right side of the painting. The woman has a very detached, glazed look in her eyes, and the man sits smoking a pipe. This painting is a social commentary on the fact that the drink absinthe was causing social isolation and negative feelings in the country. She looks very unaware of the world around her, and simply gazes sadly at her drink. The colors in the painting are also very dull, creating an even more melancholy feel. By using dull browns and little color, Degas effectively depicted the lackluster feel that absinthe left in its wake.

This painting was actually met with a lot of distaste, and was locked away for a time, until it was brought back. It has received pretty equal amounts of praise and critique. One critique called the woman a whore, adding that "the tale is not a pleasant one, but a lesson". Most art of the time was painted for beauty, but this is painted to really show and say something about society.